Today's Lesson is you kill each other off
by trashace
Summary: Everyone in Konoha knows about the looming threat of the reality tv hit known as the program. A class of 42 students is selected to fight each other to the death, until only one remains. Naruto doesn't believe he'll ever be selected, until his nightmares become reality. Could you kill your best friend? [Battle Royale AU, SasuNaru, Kakasaku, HinaKiba, and other irrelevant pairings]
1. Life's a game

_**Author's note: A couple days ago I was looking to see if anyone had written a Battle Royale AU fic, and was really disappointed when I couldn't find any that haven't been ditched in years. So I decided to give it a try. This story has warnings for blood, gore, violence, sexual themes, etc etc, you've been warned. Just so you know, everyone in this fanfic is 16 with the exception of Deidra and Sasori who are 17. There's a reason for that ;) The chapters will get longer, I promise. This story is gonna have a lot of flashbacks, but I'll make them all in italics.**_

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><p>Mrs. Tsundae Kenju,<p>

Konoha Prefecture Senior High School, class 2A has been selected as the participants for this year's program. We will send officers to the extraction point on the 13th of April at the designated time. Enclosed below is the complete student roster for Class 2A, if any changes are made before the 13th of April you are to report it immediately. The families of each individual will be notified the day of the extraction. We hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Orochimaru of the Greater Republic of the Land of Fire.

* * *

><p>Class 2A<p>

Females:

1. Haruno Sakura

2. Hyuga Hinata

3. Uzumaki Karin

4. Yamanaka Ino

5. Kakemono Tenten

6. Kato Shizune

7. Sand Temari

8. Mitarashi Anko

9. Tsuchi Kin

10. Sunagakure Matsuri

11. Chujitsuna Sari

12. Nohara Rin

13. Kazahana Koyuki

14. Hoshi Hokuto

15. Kamizuru Suzumebachi

16. Mizu Isaribi

17. Hokumon Tayuya

18. Fuma Sasame

19. Terumi Mei

20. Ichiraku Ayame

21. Chomei Fu

Males:

1. Hyuga Neji

2. Lee Rock

3. Aburame Shino

4. Akimichi Choji

5. Uzumaki Naruto

6. Nami Haku

7. Inuzuka Kiba

8. Sand Gaara

9. Nara Shikamaru

10. Uchiha Sasuke

11. Sand Kankuro

12. Abumi Zaku

13. Root Sai

14. Zabuza Momochi

15. Dosu Kinuta

16. Iwagakura Deidra

17. Akasuna Sasori

18. Yakushi Kabuto

19. Hozuki Suigetsu

20. Otogakure Jugo

21. Tomon Kidomaru

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><p>"Class, listen up!" A woman yells, slamming her ruler against the desk with enough force to almost break it. Tsundae knew how to get her class's attention, because as soon as the loud crack was heard, every single student sat up a little straighter and the note passing and whispering ceased. No one had ever disobeyed her during class, not even once. Everyone was much too scared of her rumored wrath than to actually risk it.<p>

"I have an announcement to make, tomorrow will be the last field trip of this year. It's very short notice, so I'll need to have your permission slips by tomorrow morning."

Almost everyone in the classroom groaned or rolled their eyes at that statement. It was only April, what about their end of year trip?

"That's not fair!" Kiba shouts from his desk in the back of the room, and several other students yell in agreement. "You promised we were going to have more!"

"I really am sorry, but there's nothing we can do about it now. When the bell rings, come up to my desk and get your slip to take home." Tsundae's voice is a lot gentler than usual, and her tone is laced with sincerity. Today would be her last day with all of these students, so it would feel downright evil not to be a little bit nicer for once. She lets out a small sigh, and the shrill shriek of the afternoon bell interrupts her thoughts.

All at once desks are shoved aside and everyone in the crowded classroom is scrambling to the front of the room, some even pushing and shoving to get to the desk first.

"Deidra, Sasori! No violence today, I don't want to see that kind of behavior," She scolds, glancing at the two boys shoving each other around. Deidra flashes her a confused look, but stops trying to knock Sasori over and takes a paper slip off her desk. She watches each individual student leave, until she sees one in particular. A tall blonde wearing an orange and black tracksuit, who is just about to step out the door.

"Naruto, come here for a moment please.." Her voice is soft, almost too soft for someone as strong and loud and Tsundae. Said boy turns around and flashes her a small smile, turning around to wave his friends off before walking to her desk.

"Am I in trouble or something? Cause if it's about Sasuke I didn't-"

"You're not in trouble. Sit down," She interrupts and points at a lone chair in the corner of the room. He nods and moves the chair closer to hers so they can talk.

"Oh, you wanna sign my permission slip right? That's okay, Jiraiya is home this week, so he can do it," Naruto replies, since it seems like that could be only reason why Tsundae would want to talk. She was by no means his guardian, but she had taken a liking to him a couple years ago when Jiraiya had introduced Naruto as his new godson. Having him in her class this year had been a coincidence, but Tsundae was extremely happy about it. She visited him and Jiraiya often at their small house in town, and she was the closest thing to a grandmother he could have.

"No, it's not about the permission slip. I was wondering if you and Jiraiya would mind some company tonight?" She fidgets slightly in her chair, hoping the question doesn't seem out of place. In all honesty, she doesn't know what to do in this situation except say her goodbyes now.

"Old hag, we're going out for ramen tonight. We probably won't be home till late, and I've gotta pack for the field trip!" He replies with enthusiasm. Unlike the rest of the class, Naruto is excited, even if this is the last trip of the year. According to the permission slip, they'd be gone all day Friday and the weekend! A whole weekend to spend with his best friend Sakura, and a certain someone. He hopes Tsundae doesn't notice when the light blush spreads across his cheeks at the thought of that certain someone.

"Are you sure you can't spare an hour or two? I'm sure Jiraiya would be pleased." She's starting to sound a little desperate, but she can't tell him the truth yet. Naruto is already going to be broken by tomorrow, she can't stand to hurt the only person closest to a grandson she has with this news.

"What's this about, do you wanna go on a date with him or something?" Naruto raises an eyebrow. It really wouldn't surprise him.

"No, idiot! I.. I just wanted to spend some time with you before your trip," Tsundae says in a near shout. Naruto flinches a little at her sudden loudness, slinking down in his chair. She was going to make him deaf someday!

"We'll have plenty of time together when I get back. Besides, the old man already promised me and him were going out tonight." After his first sentence, Tsundae's eyes get a little wide. He doesn't notice. It's not like he doesn't want to spend time with her, but who could turn down on the house ramen? Jiraiya doesn't treat him often, even when he is home. The second bell rings then, signalling the buses are about to leave. "Crap!"

"Naruto wait!" She calls out, but it's too late, he's already grabbed his backpack and made a mad dash outside. Tsundae slumps over the desk and puts her head in her hands. What has she done? Of course she could've refused, there's no chance that would have done any good though. Everyone knew when someone went against the government, they were never heard from again.

Dozens of teachers had went against the program, and all of them had met the same fate in the end. The purpose of the program was to weed out the bad youth, everyone knew that. Her class didn't deserve what they had coming. Sure, Naruto enjoyed being the class clown and pulling pranks every so often, but that didn't make him a bad kid. There were some questionable students, however the government had no proof of that claim.

Tears started to leak from the woman's eyes, and before she knew it, those tears had turned into pitiful sobs. Tsundae's body began to shake as she sobbed, and every bit of makeup she'd put on that morning was washing off. Her eyes were puffy and red, a color she couldn't get off her mind.

Red.

Red, the color Naruto would be covered in as one of his friends betrayed him in that deadly game. Red, the color of the body they'd bring back. Red, the color of the rose she'd left on those two graves years prior. Red, the color of the bottle she was going to down that was an absolute wreck. Every year she'd seen the program broadcasted, and every year she had turned it off.

The winners came back, not even looking like winners at all. Most went insane, they couldn't handle the grief of what they had done. Tsundae and Jiraiya had briefly discussed the program before, without a doubt in their minds that no one they loved would ever have to go through it. One of her students had already had a family member involved, it just wasn't possible. She couldn't lose anyone else. The more she thought about it, the more the tears came.

They fell like a fountain, dripping off her chin and landing one by one on the desk. She knows she's strong, but even the strongest have their moment of weakness.

* * *

><p><em>Konoha's only orphanage was run by a man named Iruka. He had previously been a teacher, but had quit the job to work at the orphanage full time. Most people couldn't handle the job, Iruka was an exception. His experience as a teacher made him amazing with children. The job was tiring he had to admit, but he enjoyed every minute of it.<em>

_Every child was special in his eyes. Some of the children had been there for years, one had even been there since before Iruka had taken over. Iruka had taken an interest in Naruto when he first got the job. It was hard not to feel pity for the kid, he'd been there since he was a tiny infant. No one in the city wanted the 'cursed' Uzumaki child. Iruka knew the story about the child's past was a huge puzzle, and it had almost turned into a taboo to speak about it._

_Despite the rumors, Naruto was a good child. A feisty one, but still good deep down._

_The only thing Iruka didn't like about the boy was that he couldn't make friends. Most of the other kids were younger or older than Naruto, so it wasn't likely they would get along too well. They all teased and made fun of him, but if Iruka caught anyone bullying they were always severely punished. He tried to raise these kids the best he could until they were adopted into new families, many of them had been told about Naruto's past before they were put in the orphanage however, and the damage had already been done._

_A couple months ago there had been a new addition, which gave Iruka a little bit of hope. He was 10, just like Naruto. His name was Sasuke Uchiha. That hope for their friendship didn't last very long. After he'd arrived, Sasuke had went straight to his room and didn't say a word. He wouldn't play with any of the other children either. Every day he did his chores and avoided everyone else if possible. Iruka had attempted to introduce the two boys to each other, but Naruto had stuck his tongue out at Sasuke and_

_they'd avoided each other like the plague ever since._

_Iruka sighed just thinking about the whole mess, and went back to washing dishes. From the kitchen he could see what was going on in the other room, and most of the younger kids were chatting or playing quietly, except Naruto who was glued to the tv, and Sasuke who was sitting in the corner with a book._

_"Yes! It's finally on!" A voice cheered loudly. "Hell yeah, the ninjas are on!"_

_"Naruto, watch your language," Iruka said, lifting his sopping wet dish rag as a warning._

_"Yeah, be quiet." One of the girls from across the room joined in. Several others nodded or "Yeah"d in agreement. Iruka rubbed his temples and tried to focus on scrubbing a plate. Every weekend Naruto glued himself to the tv, and refused to do anything until his favorite show went off. Thanks to that cartoon, he had a fascination with ninjas. Naruto had nearly hit a neighborhood dog with his fake shuriken once, so Iruka had to cut some of his ninja "missions" short ever since. There was no separating him from the tv though._

_"We interrupt this broadcast to announce that this year's program finale will be shown on every network to maximize viewer participation in the event. All broadcasts will be suspended until the event is over. We apologize for any inconvenience," The announcer said blankly, and the upbeat opening song of the cartoon was replaced with a close up of a crowd of photographers and newscasters crowded around a car cruising down the road. Naruto groaned and beat his fists on the floor in frustration._

_"What the heck, this is stupid!" he screeched in anger._

_"It's a boy! This year's winner is a boy!" The reporter on tv interrupted while Naruto was sulking, sounding more like she was announcing a birth rather than someone who had just killed his entire class. The cameras switched to show a boy who was sitting in the front seat of the car. He looked very thin and tired, and his entire body was coated with dirt and dried blood. Various cuts and bruises were spread out across the skin he was showing, there was no doubt he had more injuries, but he was draped in a black robe so it was hard to tell._

_His raven hair was incredibly dirty, and the blood made it cling to his face even more. The cameras were zoomed in close enough that you could see his bloodshot eyes and two scars on either side of his face. None of those things were his oddest feature, what surprised Iruka the most was that he was smiling._

_"We're just receiving reports of the winner's name! This year's victor is Itachi Uchiha!" Iruka quickly grabbed the remote and shut the tv off. He didn't even have to look to know that Sasuke had fled the corner and began to weep._

* * *

><p>Naruto had woken up bright and early the next morning and walked to school, carrying three large suitcases behind him the entire way there. All of the students were told to wait outside for the buses to arrive, but the only ones there besides Naruto were Kiba and Shino.<p>

"Oy, Kiba," He greeted. Kiba grinned and waved, ditching Shino to walk over to Naruto.

"You think you're bringing enough crap?" Kiba snorted, despite the fact he had brought his guitar and the case along.

"You're one to talk, dumbass," Naruto quipped. He knew Kiba was stupid, but not THIS stupid. They played music at school all the time, but he couldn't hide it all weekend. Everyone knew the kind of music they played was forbidden by the government, it was common sense. Kiba said it was called rock before the Land of Fire outlawed it years ago. It was a strange name, Naruto found it fitting though. When they were younger the two always joked about moving far off and becoming rock stars, like that would ever happen.

"Hey, if they don't like it, who gives a shit. It's not like old lady Tsunade would report us," Kiba shrugged.

"I don't believe Tsunadae will be accompanying us on this trip," Shino spoke up, deciding to join the other two.

"How do you know that?" Kiba inquired. Shino didn't have time to answer, because Shikamaru's father had pulled in the parking lot and dropped him off, which caused Kiba to start waving his arms and hollering.

"Why are you all so excited? It's just a stupid overnight trip," Shikamaru said and rolled his eyes. Of course he had no interest in this. The trip was apparently required, go figure.

"Because, no curfew for two days, no school, girls everywhere!" Kiba shouted in excitement. The curfew was another dumb government rule, it was supposed to keep "troubled youth from getting into trouble". Naruto just grinned in response, he didn't really have the heart to say he didn't like girls. It was his deepest secret, not to mention illegal.

"You and Hinata aren't even going out yet, don't get so cocky," Shikamaru said nonchalantly. This of course made Kiba pissed off.

"Shut up asshole!" Kiba growled. He huffed angrily before speaking again, hurriedly changing the subject from his failed love life to everyone else's. "Say, Naruto. Who have you got your eyes on? I know Shino has never even thought of a boob, and Shikamaru is hopeless, but you could get anyone you wanted." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively just to add to the effect.

"None of your business!" Naruto pouted. He had his eyes on someone, that was no lie. That person just happened to be a boy instead of a girl.

"Um- Sakura?" Kiba guessed. "She's pretty, smart, sometimes nice, she's got it all dude." Kiba kept talking, but Naruto didn't notice as his senses were focused elsewhere. Sasuke was walking up the sidewalk, with his overnight bag slung over his shoulder. As usual, his uniform was perfectly ironed and there wasn't a single flaw. Oh, how Naruto hated him, but at the same time he wanted nothing more than to- never mind.

"Earth to Naruto. Earth to Naruto." Kiba waved his hands around in his best friend's face and began to poke him, only to be pulled back by Shino.

"I see Hinata and Neji," Naruto quickly lied, so he could steal another glance. He expected everyone to get confused, but a black Mercedes Benz was driving up the road, the one that belonged to the rich Hyuga family. For once, something had actually went his way. They weren't the only ones to arrive, the other buses arrived minutes later to let the other students off. Everything after that was a flurry of activity, people getting to school, people loading their stuff on the bus, roll being called, everyone trying to crowd on the bus and the driver telling them to shut up and be quiet. Until finally, they were off.

"Naruto, sit with me!" Sakura called from the back of the bus. Kiba wolf whistled after she said it, but thankfully everyone ignored it. Naruto squeezed through the rows until he reached the very back and plopped down beside her. She smiled, and handed him a small tin that had been sitting in her lap when he sat down.

"I made cookies last night, but don't tell anyone else. I don't want Choji to eat them all," She leaned in and whispered. Naruto grinned and lifted the lid up, immediately stuffing his face with sugar cookies while Sakura daintily ate one at a time.

"Watch out everyone, here comes lord douchebag!" Kiba then yelled at the top of his lungs, yelping soon after due to a punch from Shikamaru. Lord Douchebag happened to be his nickname for Sasuke, who was walking down the aisle silently. He passed by Choji and Ino's seat, then Haku and Zabuza's, which meant only one thing. He was going to sit with Naruto and Sakura. Sasuke didn't say anything until he reached them, he simply dropped his bag in the aisle and gave them his blank glare.

"There aren't any seats left, so I'm stuck with you two. Scoot over," Sasuke said, and Sakura scooted over towards the window to let him enter and sit by Naruto. If God was real, he really was on Naruto's side today.

"Sasuke, you're so mean," He teased, sticking his tongue out playfully. Sasuke didn't return the favor. "Want a cookie?"

"I don't like sweets." Sasuke replied in a bored tone, turning to look out the window. At least they were starting to leave Konoha, even if no one had any idea where they were going. Everyone was talking excitedly already, and Ino had burst into one of those annoying cliche songs that everyone seemed to enjoy on long trips- at the expense of Sasuke's hearing of course. By the time she got to 95 bottles of beer on the wall he was nearly insane.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto spoke up in the midst of everyone else's conversations and off key singing. "You think you're gonna have to room with crazy Ino?" Sakura's face twisted into a combination of terror and disgust.

"We don't even know if we're gonna be staying in a hotel yet, geez. And if we are I hope you not only have to share a room with Sai, but a bed too!" She declared. Sai was probably the most annoying person in the entire class, and a huge flirt to boot. He seemed to be the only person who would dare say they weren't straight, Naruto did have to give him credit for that.

"Where else would we stay? The streets? None of the teachers would even tell us where we're going!" Naruto's voice was incredibly audible, and in Sasuke's opinion it attracted even more unwanted attention. Just like he had predicted, Kiba heard the conversation and jumped out of his seat to voice his opinion too.

"They probably think they're surprising us or something, that's so stupid!"

"I have to agree with you for once," Shikamaru replied. He was looking out the window, and noted that the scenery wasn't familiar. They were out of Konoha, that was for sure. He actually enjoyed looking at nature and clouds, even if Kiba said a bird was going to shit on him someday.

"That makes the trip so much funner," Hinata said softly from beside Kiba. She was always so quiet, it was hard to tell she was there. Kiba sat back down then, there was no way he was going to disagree with her. Naruto and Sakura continued to chat about boring things; school, his music, the baseball game next week, the new mall downtown- until Naruto got bored and decided to get his new digital camera out and take a picture of all three of them to remember the trip by for the sake of memories or something useless like that.

"I dunno if this is possible for you, but smile Sasuke!" he said cheerfully. Naruto always had a permanent smile on his face, and Sakura's lip gloss coated mouth twitched into a fake smile to mirror his. Sasuke glared at the lens and scowled. Naruto snapped the picture anyway, and he and Sakura admired it by themselves. It only felt like seconds later when the bus drove into one of the country's many tunnels, and the entire bus went dark. Sasuke couldn't place the feeling, but a chill ran up his spine. Damn, this place was creepy. Like clockwork, his classmate's eyes began to droop one by one.

Several let out a small yawn before they slumped over in the cheap bus seats, and he saw Karin slip out of her seat and her body fall right in the aisle. Naruto and Sakura had fallen asleep too, and were leaning on each other in their unresponsive state. Sasuke felt his limbs grow weaker and weaker, and he had to grab the front of the seat to stand up. What was wrong with him? It was a struggle for him to stumble forward, and his vision began to spiral into a whirl of blackness and confusion. The last thing he remembered before he went unconscious like the others was that the bus driver spun around to face him, and the man was wearing a military gas mask.

* * *

><p>Slowly every person in the room began to stir, and 42 groggy bodies had to force themselves to wake up out of their zombie like states. The room was soon filled with a chorus of groans and "what happeneds?". Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he noticed that everything seemed to hurt or ache, almost like someone had dragged him here. Here, where was here? He noticed he was sitting at a desk, but it was nothing out of the ordinary, in fact it was just like the ones they had back at school.<p>

He looked around to find that there were 41 other desks in the room, and all of his classmates were seated at one just like him. A couple of them still had their heads on their desks and hadn't woke up yet, but the rest were struggling to adjust to the bright lights that were identical to the ones in a classroom. Something wasn't right. Perhaps it was the pressure on his neck- wait, the what? Out of curiosity and fear, Naruto's hands drifted to his neck, where a cold piece of metal was wrapped around it like a necklace. It was no doubt a collar. He tried to pull it off, but the thing wouldn't budge no matter what he did. He tugged, pulled, and tightened his grip as hard as he could, but that thing was impossible to get off!

Sakura was seated at the desk beside him, and he leaned over to shake her awake. It was chilling to see she was wearing the exact same collar around her neck. She moaned and opened her green eyes to look at him, and Naruto saw the same fear in her eyes that was dwelling in his own. Next, he glanced around the room for that familiar black hair that was styled in a way that made it look like a duck's ass. He only had to turn his head to see that Sasuke was right behind him, staring at the blackboard in the front of the room with his stoic face.

"Sasuke, where the hell are we?" Naruto asked, knowing he wouldn't get a good answer out of Sakura if she was still half asleep.

"No clue, I haven't been awake very long." Usually Sasuke didn't speak this much, it was almost a record for him.

"You..You have one too?" It didn't take a genius to know Naruto was referring to the collar/necklaces they were all wearing. The remark was more out of worry than surprise.

"We all do, dumbass."

"What are they?"

"Annoying, that's what they are. Just like you."

"Can I see yours? Y'know, to try and figure them out," Naruto said in an almost whisper, ignoring the insult. He could get a better look at someone else's than his own.

"If you must," Sasuke said flatly, and that was as good as a yes for him. Naruto stood up and pushed his squeaking chair aside to walk over to Sasuke's desk. Silently he wondered if there was going to be a teacher coming in or something, since they were in a classroom. There were so many questions flooding his mind, and none of them had answers. Sasuke tilted his head so Naruto could run his fingers along the cool metal. There was one tiny screen in the center of the collar, for some reason he didn't want to find out what that did. Other than that it there was nothing else that caught his eye, it might have been better not to mess with it. He debated trying to yank it off, eventually giving it a few hard tugs.

"Stop, you might break the thing, whatever it is," Sasuke growled and pushed Naruto's hands away. If he wasn't totally terrified right now, Naruto would be happy they were spending time together without fighting too much.

"3 AM," Sasuke duly noted, when Naruto had backed off and returned to his own desk.

"Huh?" Sasuke pointed to a standard clock hanging on the wall next to the blackboard. Not noticing that made him feel incredibly stupid.

"Learn to read. It's 3 AM, we've been off of the road for quite some time." Naruto couldn't believe that. Things were just getting fishier and fishier. To make it even worse, Hinata was crying. Naruto was about to go comfort her when the door opened and shut with a deafening slam. If anyone was still asleep, they probably weren't now. A man walked to the front of the room, followed by 4 guards wearing The Land of Fire's military uniforms. They all stood in perfect formation while the man took his place next to the blackboard.

He had long greasy black hair that reached his waist, with ends that were splitting and uneven It was apparent he was fairly old, with pale skin that seemed to peel and sag in some places. Besides that, it was creepy how white his skin was, making him seem anything but human. His eyes seemed to have a malicious intent in them, and Naruto couldn't help but look away when their gazes met. The strange man picked up a piece of chalk and began scrawling words across the chalkboard.

When he was finished, several girls (and boys) gasped in shock. No one could believe those words that he had written, they were all too ignorant to believe this would happen to them. Only one student wasn't affected, he was even smiling. Kabuto.

BATTLE ROYALE ACT was written in bold white kanji. Everyone in the room knew exactly what it meant, no one had to say anything to confirm it.

"Listen up, my name is Orochimaru, and from now on you will refer to me as your sensei and nothing lower! Failure to do so will result in your death, do I make myself clear?" Orochimaru said calmly, with a smirk. There were a few gasps again, and upon hearing them Orochimaru's smile faded.

"Now now, you all seem so sad to see me. Cheer up, we haven't gotten to the best part yet."

* * *

><p>42 students remaining.<p> 


	2. In his footsteps

_Sasuke never fancied the idea of a hospital. Hundreds of living corpses rotting away in some unfamiliar room that had as much comfort as a jail cell, in his opinion. His heart had already hardened about subjects like this, even at 11 years old. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh as he stepped into the elevator, mashing the button for the third floor while keeping his eyes glued to the white marble of the elevator._

_Others were going to stare at him when he got there, that was inevitable._

_A small part of him wanted to turn back now, and march right back down to the orphanage. Yes, he was going to go right back and forget all about what he'd came here for. It wasn't like he HAD to be here. No one was telling him what to do. A small ding sounded seconds later, and the elevator doors opened to none other than floor number three. He had no other choice but to step out, and figured he'd just catch the next one._

_Or he would have, if a nurse nearby hadn't asked him who he was searching for. She looked like the type that he couldn't trust. The ones that smiled too much, the ones who called him 'sweetie' and 'poor little boy' every other word. Everything about her seemed to display that sort of appearance. Her black hair that was perfectly combed and straightened that went down to her chest, the fake eyelashes glued on to her real ones, a wedding ring around her finger, the worst of all was the overly fake smile with the whitened teeth showing._

_"Is it your mother or father?" She asked sweetly, showing those teeth again with her sickening smile._

_"No," Sasuke said in an arid tone._

_"A brother or sister perhaps? I can find them right now if you can give me a name."_

_"It's not any of your business. I need to find Uchiha Itachi, that is all. With or without your help." The nurse's lips twisted in a shocked 'O' shape, and suddenly her bedside manner changed completely after hearing him talk._

_"Give me a moment." She left him to return to her computer at the nurse's station. Her fingers glided across the keys rapidly until she found what she was looking for and stopped the incessant tapping. If she looked uncomfortable before, it was nothing compared to now. From her desk chair, she spun around to face Sasuke once again, trying to make a comprehendible sentence that didn't sound offensive._

_"He.. He's in room 42. Are you sure you don't need me to come along with you?"_

_"I would prefer it if you didn't." He shot her a glare and disappeared down the east wing. There wasn't any turning back now it seemed. He looked outside every room for the number, and figured out early on that most of these people didn't look anything close to alive. There was a part of him deep down that feared what he was going to see when he walked in his brother's hospital room._

_He kept getting closer and closer, till he spotted the number 40 and dry swallowed. It was only a couple steps ahead. Sasuke didn't know why he was so terrified, it had only been a few months since he'd seen his brother last. The day they shipped Itachi off to boarding school, something changed. Pinpointing exactly what was the hard part, but the difference was apparent. It wasn't about living at the orphanage, it was much more than that. The program had made whatever it was even worse._

_Ignoring his hammering heart and trembling hands, the small boy slowly turned the knob. He didn't step in the room, but simply watched what was going on inside from the small crack he'd made by opening the door slightly. The room was like any other generic over sterilized hospital room. Dull white floors and walls that made Sasuke want to vomit, the lone chair with the hard back on it that was a pain to sit in, and the variety of machines and wires that all lead to the bed._

_His peeking didn't last very long, Itachi had spotted him as soon as the door began to creak open._

_"Brother.. Oh, how I've missed you." The elder Uchiha's voice cracked as he tried to get the words out, making it apparent he hadn't tried to speak in awhile. "Please, come in." Sasuke shoved his shaking hands into his shorts pocket, and went inside at last. It was hard to keep his eyes from widening, any sane person would have had the exact same reaction._

_"I know, I'm a mess. If you are afraid of me, I do not blame you in the slightest," Itachi said weakly. A mess was a serious understatement of his condition. Bandages were tightly wrapped around his head, and it was obvious he'd gotten much more than a simple concussion. There were too many IV's and tubes attached to Itachi's arms, too many for a person with "minor injuries" as Iruka had put it._

_It was easy to see under the thin hospital gown just how skinny his brother had gotten, easily having lost 15 or 20 pounds since they'd last seen each other. Purplish bruises were all the way up one of his arms, some were even turning a ghastly shade of blue. There was a bandage around his one of his eyes, and another wrapped around one of his hands. Someone had stabbed Itachi in the hand of all places._

_There was a thick blanket covering his lower half, hiding even more scars, stitches, and bruises. Sasuke wasn't sure he was ready to see those yet. "Grody things" didn't bother him, but it was different seeing your own family with such injuries. Despite his battered appearance, Itachi had a faint smile on his face._

_"Sasuke, I know this is a foolish thing to ask. Could I have a hug?" If it had been any other person, Sasuke wouldn't comply with his request. Itachi was an exception. Sasuke nodded and quietly walked towards the bed. Itachi leaned in and held his brother in his fragile arms. They felt more like sticks than limbs. He was so weak, so defeated. For someone who had won that twisted game, he didn't look like a winner in any perspective._

_"How are you making it? It pains me so much to know I won't be home for quite some time. There is a...friend of mine who has offered to take you in. Letting you stay in the orphanage is something I won't stand for." Itachi's voice wavered again, and for a moment Sasuke wondered if he was going to cry. Uchihas never cried, especially in front of each other._

_"A friend?" The smaller boy said softly. He wasn't liking the sound of this. Others invading in their lives were usually nothing but trouble. Living with a stranger was just troublesome, he wanted it to be like old times. Just him and Itachi. Or at least, it had been the two of them for a very long time. There had been a complete family at one point, with parents and everything. Sasuke didn't like remembering those days._

_"Yes, he's not that bad. I promise you."_

_"Is he more tolerable than Iruka?"_

_"I don't know Iruka very well, so I cannot judge."_

_"You were supposed to be fine. Why aren't you being allowed to come home soon? Don't lie to me." If there was one thing his elder brother was good at, it was creating a persona and masking whatever troubled him. If he was on the brink of death he'd claim it was just a minuscule scratch._

_"The program is very...draining. You have to understand. My injuries may not be extremely serious, but it's going to take some time for me to heal completely." There it was, another blatant lie. The seriousness of the whole thing had not yet hit Sasuke completely. All he knew about the program was that it was a dangerous competition in which many people got hurt, that was all the information Iruka would give him. Sasuke was mature for his age, but that didn't change the fact that he was still a child._

_"Tell me what happened to you, I want to know what this program crap is." Sasuke wriggled out of his brother's weak grasp, and sat at the far edge of his bed, as if getting close would cause Itachi to turn into glass and shatter to pieces right before his eyes._

_"You'll know when you're older. I don't want you to know until you're eligible."_

_"Eligible?"_

_"A random class of senior high students are selected randomly each year for the 'game'. In around 5 years, your class will be in the running. That is something we cannot change." Talking about this seemed to drain Itachi even more, this was a difficult subject for him._

_"But you didn't do anything wrong, why did you have to play?"_

_"That is how the world works, Sasuke. I would've done anything to prevent it. "_

_"What if I get picked?"_

_"That will not happen, but in the very very slim chance that you are selected, you will run. You will run, and you will never stop. Always keep running, keep living."_

_"Why?" Following that question, Itachi looked Sasuke straight in the eyes, a gaze full of serious conviction. His answer was something Sasuke would never forget for the rest of his life. Even when he was old and greying, he would remember that moment in full clarity._

_"If you are running to live, falling only means the opposite. The moment you stumble is the moment it will all be over. You are still so small, don't let this weigh your mind down until there is good reason for it."_

* * *

><p>The senile old man smiled again, this time showing his odd split tongue. Sasuke had never seen anything like it, and never wanted to see it again. Who gets their tongue split with purpose? The tongue was also a huge contrast to the expensive navy suit the man wore, no doubt paid for by some government official. If there really was a devil, this man was the closest living incarnation, in his opinion.<p>

"Look at all these grim faces. I suppose they're only going to get worse. Tsk Tsk," Orochimaru said with false concern. "You must be wondering why you're all here. I wouldn't be your teacher if I didn't explain these things, now would I?" Tenten's hand shot up, and Orochimaru sniggered and pointed to her, signaling for her to ask her question.

"What happened to our class trip sensei?" She said, being careful to add in the sensei at the end of her sentence. Dying this early on would just be a joke.

"This IS your silly little class trip. A trip to this beautiful island, in which you all will die on. Except just one," He replied in that disgusting raspy voice of his. "Now, if you all will cease the disturbances, I will explain your lesson." There wasn't a single person in the room (Besides Orochimaru) that was showing anything close to a smile, they were all frowning, kept their expressions neutral, or had their mouths wide open in shock.

"Today's lesson, is you kill each other off." Several people screamed, others stayed completely silent out of fear. When the initial shock wears off, the room is dead quiet except for the hum of the cicadas outside. No one even dares breathe too loudly. Sasuke moves his hands under the desk, so no one can see how violently they're shaking and starting to moisten with sweat. He hasn't felt so angered since.. that day. Right now, he is even too petrified to think of that day and turns his attention back to that smirking douchebag in the front of the room.

"This is bullshit!" A male voice shouts from the front end of the room. His voice is laced with understandable anger, and Sasuke doesn't have to look to know his sharp teeth are barred like they always are when he's pissed off. He doesn't have to even look to know it's Suigetsu. In his more 'violent' days, Sasuke and Suigetsu hung around each other a lot. Nowadays they don't talk very much, but he still knows Suigetsu well enough to know he was bound to pull a stunt like this.

"Now now young man, it's disrespectful to interrupt while the teacher is teaching. Sit back down, unless you'd like to be the demonstration for how these nifty little devices around your necks work." Orochimaru's sly little grin, combined with the warning, is enough to make Suigetsu sit down. For now.

"Where was I before this delinquent so rudely interrupted me? Ah, yes. You all are going to kill each other, before this weekend is over. You have exactly three days time, and if no one dies in 24 hours, guess what happens?" He pauses, and spreads his hands out wide to make a gesture. An explosion. "You all will die anyway, and there will be no winner." The two military men standing by Orochimaru head out the door, and return pushing two carts full of generic duffel bags.

"Each of you will be given a bag containing water, food rations, a map, and a randomly chosen weapon. Some of you will receive decent weapons, but others are simply out of luck. Girls, you better hope you'll get a nice big gun, because there's no one here to protect you," He says, then reaches over to his desk to pick something up, a small circular piece of metal. The collar Orochimaru is holding isn't turned on, but he fixes that by pulling out a small remote out of his pocket. It looks more like a tv remote rather than something that controls some sort of secretive device.

"These collars you're all wearing are our way of keeping an eye on you. Don't attempt to take them off, surely you are all smarter than to know the consequences of that. They are fireproof, waterproof, and almost any sort of -proof you can imagine. They cannot be destroyed. If you're planning on trying to escape, and think we cannot find you, you are mistaken. These collars monitor your location, vital signs, etc, etc, you all get the point."

Sasuke decides that he isn't going to lay a single finger on that goddamn collar ever again, and he is going to absolutely kill Naruto for- He stops that thought short, realizing the word kill isn't something to be taken lightly here. While Orochimaru is messing around with the collar, he looks around the room to find that everyone looks like they're close to wetting their pants, with the exception of that strange Kabuto kid and those two dropouts Deidra and Sasori.

"This island is separated into zones. At a certain time, certain zones will become a no man's land. Anywhere near this building is automatically a danger zone after you leave. All your maps have the zones marked, and unless you enjoy your own spontaneous explosion, you will check your map every time I make an announcement." He smiles that sadistic smile again at all of them, and Sasuke wants to punch every single yellow tooth right out of Orochimaru's head.

He looks at everyone for a minute before turning back to the board and picking up his chalk again. The drawing is hard to make out, but the island is split into 10 horizontal squares and 10 vertical ones. Each one is labeled with a letter and a number, like they're supposed to be on the maps.

"Now then," Orochimaru continues, "Every six hours I will make an announcement of who has fallen, and the danger zones. It's beneficial to know which one of your competitors has been wiped out." It sends a little shiver up Sasuke's spine to know that from now on they aren't people, just competitors in this sick game. He doesn't have the largest amount of empathy, but killing his classmates isn't exactly something he wants to partake in. He briefly wonders if Itachi felt like this.

"We've almost went over it all, now be good little children and watch the video the government has prepared for you."

"I'm not gonna, you asshole," Suigetsu says firmly, standing up beside his desk again, Karin, who was sitting beside him tries to grab his sleeve, but he slaps her hand away. "I'll cut you to pieces! Right here, right now! I'm not playing your little 'game'."

"Suigetsu, stop it," Karin hisses urgently. Of course he ignores her.

"Is that any way to speak to your sensei?" Orochimaru glances down at a piece of paper he left lying on his desk before continuing. "Male Student 19, Hozuki Suigetsu. What wasted potential. You would have played well, if you would've known how to keep your mouth shut and follow directions."

"What are you talking about?" Suigetsu growls. His fists are clenched, he's going to- Dear god, he's actually going after that physcopath.

"You all need a better demonstration of how these collars truly work," Orochimaru quips, picking up that remote again. He presses a small red button, and Suigetsu's violet eyes widen.

"You're not going to-" He says in a panic, but the collar has already started to make a simultaneous beeping sound. "Oh god, oh my fucking god," He repeats over and over, his words practically in time with the beeping. Everyone sitting nearby Suigetsu jumps out of their seats and backs away, even his best friend. They all know what his fate is.

"I'm sorry," Karin says softly, backing up all the way against the furthest wall. Suigetsu trips over his seat in his dismay and falls to the floor, crawling desperately towards her. The beeps get closer together, and become much more frantic as the seconds pass.

"Help me, somebody help me!" He pleads, grabbing onto Karin's ankle and knocking one of her sneakers off. She yelps and darts into the other direction, trying to get as far away from Suigetsu as she can. "Sasuke, come here and get this damn thing off!" He yells as a last resort. Every pair of eyes in the room is on Sasuke now, expecting him to do something. He says nothing, and backs away when Suigetsu tries to get to his desk.

"I hate all of you, every single one of you!" Those are Suigetsu's last words, before the collar detonates. The sound is something similar to many gunshots at once, or a particularly loud firework. Sasuke would later describe it as a snap, crackle, pop. A more intense version of rice krispies. The way Suigetsu was thrashing around prevented the collar from leaving him headless at least.

His previously white hair is soaked with crimson blood, and his remaining eye is as wide as it was before his death. The other eye had popped out of the socket during the explosion, and had rolled over towards the desk of Ino, who screamed at the top of her lungs. A spray of blood came from his head and neck, drenching the floor, desks, and surrounding Karin. The skin left on his neck is barely hanging there, and as gruesome as the sight is, Sasuke can't look away.

Death was always something that fascinated him. It was odd how someone could die just like that, and never come back. Their presence would be easily forgotten in a few years, and in a few decades no one would care about their passing anymore. No one would be there to leave flowers on a forgotten grave. He found the concept of heaven and hell to be downright bullshit, so dying must certainly have been the end. He's never going to see Suigetsu again.

"Female Student 3, Uzumaki Karin, would you mind sitting down?" Orochimaru says with a hint of sarcasm. "Or would you like to end up like that piece of garbage right there?"

"Suigetsu isn't garbage," Karin snarls. She bends over to shut Suigetsu's remaining eye, before giving Orochimaru a glare and returning to her blood spattered seat.

"My, what a feisty one. I can't wait to see all of you tear each other apart out there. Watch the video, or you die too. Capiche?" Orochimaru says sweetly, and turns to a small tv on a stand that Sasuke hasn't payed any attention to. It's one of those older models that still connects to a VHS player, something more ancient than their new 'teacher'. There's a tape inside already, and Orochimaru presses play. A cheerful woman appears on the screen, and waves happily to the audience.

The video is even more boring that Orochimaru's explanation, and was nothing more than a review of everything he said until the very end. Every student would be called out by their number and depart outside, two minutes apart. That's when the game would really start. Apparently this video had been made especially for this class, as the woman on the screen was the one reciting their names.

"Have fun out there! Make sure to kill someone, alright? I'm going to start with Male Student 1 Hyuga Neji," She announces. Neji looks uncomfortable as he stands up and walks to the front of the room, and a duffel bag is tossed into his arms by one of the soldiers next to Orochimaru. They decide he isn't walking fast enough, and he's forcefully shoved out the door. While Sasuke is watching, a note is slipped under his desk. His shoe steps on it carefully and he slowly brings it up to his lap.

"Sasuke wait for me outside. im not going 2 play the game. -naruto" The bad spelling and grammar was already an indication that Naruto had written the note anyway.

"Female Student 1, Haruno Sakura, it's your time to shine!" The woman on the screen says enthusiastically. Sakura's eyes dart towards Naruto, and he nods. They must have some unspoken agreement.

"Hurry up!" Orochimaru snarls, and after she receives her bag, one of the soldiers pushes the butt of his gun into her back and she dashes outside. Sasuke is more than just curious, does Sakura intend to play the game? He isn't entirely sure if he wants to quite yet. It would be murdering an innocent person, that didn't mean he would kill someone out of self defense though. In this situation it was kill or be killed. Everyone here were his classmates, but that didn't stop them from being capable of murder or torture.

The only person he truly wants to kill is Orochimaru, and he plans to do that. Somehow.

Slowly, the crowd is starting to thin out, and one by one everyone is marching outside to their death. Naruto even fakes a smile for Sasuke when he leaves, like that was going to make a difference. Sasuke doesn't trust anyone, but Naruto wouldn't hurt a fly, it was doubtful he'd even THINK about participating. He doesn't like him, in fact he finds him extremely annoying. Nothing more than a pest.

For now, they can be allies. Sasuke doesn't think it'll last very long, him and Naruto working together. He doesn't even understand why that blonde idiot is so persistent in trying to help him. Shouldn't he be trying to save Sakura instead? She was even more annoying than Naruto, a feat that seemed impossible in human standards.

Sasuke knows he's a narcissist, but right now he's terrified. It's his life or someone else's. If he can't avenge Itachi, what even is his purpose in life? However, this is no time for him to have a mental breakdown, as that stupid bitch on tv has just called out his name.

"I never thought I would see another Uchiha in my game. You have a lot to live up to, Sasuke. Your brother was a force to be reckoned with," Orochimaru says gleefully. Sasuke hates the way his name slides off that vile man's tongue.

"Don't you dare say a word about Itachi!" He screams angrily. The soldier throws him his bag, and he slings it over his shoulder. It's hard to concentrate on getting outside now, because he's so infuriated, he's about to burst.

"I forgot about his unfortunate-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Orochimaru snickers at his anger, and the two men's rifles both point to Sasuke.

"That won't be necessary, his victory is heavily anticipated. I can't kill the star of the show," Orochimaru says, and looks at the two men. He snaps his fingers, and both of the soldiers grab Sasuke from under his arms and toss him out the door while he shouts insults at their boss. There's no point in struggling, they both overpower him and he can't even squirm before he's thrown out as easily as last night's garbage.

When he groans and manages to get up, Sasuke is more than pissed off. He storms down the corridor and into the forrest surrounding the school, stomping every step of the way. As promised, Naruto is hidden in a nearby bush and signals him over. Sasuke ignores him and keeps walking out of agitation. This is dangerous, he needs to think rationally, but all that's clouding his mind is revenge. That man made Itachi suffer, and he was going to pay.

"Sasuke! What's wrong? We need to get somewhere safe, idiot!" Naruto hollers at him. That loud voice was going to get them both killed.

"Listen, if you plan to stay with me, you're going to be quiet. Your loud mouth will not be my cause of death," Sasuke snarls, giving Naruto his infamous death glare that everyone in Konoha had received at least once.

"Sorry," Naruto says and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. Does he think this is a joke? "I was thinking we could head down to the shore and hide in one of those little caves before we find Sakura. She ran off pretty quick."

"They'll have to do for now I suppose, where's your weapon?"

"About that..." Naruto trails off, and that could mean nothing good.

"Don't tell me you got something useless!" The shout makes him flinch, but a hand appear from the bush holding a pair of chopsticks. A cheap pair of wooden chopsticks that couldn't kill a measly ant. "That's your weapon?!"

"Think I could stab someone with these?"

"I regret accepting your offer now. Let's go, or I might just leave you here."

* * *

><p>"Zabuza. We need to get out of here, someone will come."<p>

"Give me a sec." He sighs, and pulls out the butcher knife with enough precision that it barely makes a sound. The knife is dripping with blood and coated with bits of matter, so Zabuza wipes it on the side of his pants before inspecting it again. Disgusting, how one person made such a mess everywhere. "Help me get the skirt off." he whispers, and Haku nods and gets down on his knees beside the corpse.

"She doesn't have any weapons hidden on her," Haku announces after they remove the girl's skirt. They were both hoping she'd hidden a knife or something under the waistband of her uniform, it never hurt to have extras. They'd already searched her bags, and she didn't have anything but personal belongings that were of no use to them. Nothing close to a weapon.

"Oh well, you can take it anyway. The boy's uniform doesn't suit you." Haku smiles at his remark, and drops the pants of his own uniform to trade with the corpse's skirt. The fabric fits perfectly around his hips, and it feels much more natural than the required black pants of the boy's uniform. Haku doesn't know exactly why he enjoys looking more feminine than masculine, it's just the way he likes it. He didn't have enough time to grab his own bag from the classroom, so he was stuck in those stuffy clothes. The two of them get up and shake the dirt off their respective pants and skirt and Zabuza takes out his map from where he's folded it in his pocket.

"We should steer clear of the southern forest. They're all going to be cowering like a bunch of brain dead idiots over that way, and will fire without hesitation."

"There's a building that used to be a clinic near the shrine, should we head over that way?" Haku points to a spot on the map, and it isn't too far away. A couple miles walk at the most. It could be good shelter if they played their cards just right.

"Good idea, if there's anyone in there, they won't be in there much longer." Zabuza almost snickers, it's a very odd sounding coming from him. Haku decides he likes it.

"Lead the way." Zabuza nods, and the butcher knife is clutched even tighter in his hands. The girl had only screamed for a split second, but there was still a risk of someone coming to try and 'save' her. The two of them walk silently through the forest, being careful not to step on any stray branches or crunch any leaves. Haku keeps his eyes above them, to make sure no one was hiding up in the trees, while Zabuza kept his eyes straight ahead and listens for any small noise to alert them that they've got more prey. They made a good team so far.

"Should we have just left the body like that?" Haku asks, feeling a tiny bit unsure whenever they get far enough that they can't smell blood anymore.

"Stop acting nervous, the body gets picked up when the game is over. When we win," He replies harshly. They keep walking, and there's no sign on anyone. No sign of anyone to care about the girl they just murdered in cold blood. To be honest, it was over with rather quickly. She was too scared to defend herself. All it took was one thrust to the head, and the knife had stabbed right into her brain, killing her almost instantly. It was the perfect way to die, she didn't suffer at all. Neither of them knew her personally, she was the type who sat in the back of class and always followed orders, always made good grades, she was a good kid. She wasn't like them.

"Her name was Sasame, right?"

"Why does it matter?" Zabuza raised an eyebrow at the other's odd question, but continued walking. They still had awhile to go before they got out of the next few zones and made it to the clinic. Hopefully, they'd be fine until then, if Haku didn't start having regrets or something dumb like that.

"I was just curious," Haku says, lowering his head. For some reason, he can't get the image of her dead body out of his head. Her long red hair, the glazed over eyes filled with confusion, her still lifeless form, the puncture wound they'd made in her forehead. It wasn't the first time he'd wounded someone, just not something so serious. He would never betray Zabuza though, even if it meant picking off some classmate that meant nothing to him.

"Hmph."

"Do you think we'll run into anyone else?"

"No. We'll kill every last one of them if they try to get us, till it's just you and me."

* * *

><p>40 students remaining<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note: I don't usually put these in the beginning, to avoid spoilers and stuff. Anyway, the game begins. Sasuke and Naruto are gonna get along.. eventually. This is my first time writing a whole lot of action, so it's a bit tricky, but I'm getting the hang of it. I was thinking about giving Naruto an actual weapon at first, but him having a pair of shitty chopsticks was too funny not to write in. Forgive me for that.<strong>_


	3. Fight like a girl

Sakura has never considered herself very popular, in fact, it was more than likely the opposite. Ever since junior high, the other girls seemed to turn their noses up at her. Sasuke had done that since they were in the cradle, but that didn't mean everyone else had to! The only people who seemed to acknowledge her were Naruto, her Chem teacher, Tsunade, and occasionally Ino, if she felt like it.

Right now, she's cursing herself for letting that happen. Having allies in this game would be great advantage, and all she's got is Naruto, who she couldn't afford to wait for when everyone started coming out. She has no idea where that idiot is right now, her fingers are crossed that he's got something good to defend himself with and isn't hurt already. She hopes he's gotten as lucky as her.

Sakura has darted as quickly as she could to the part of the island that used to be residential. There were around 15 houses, side by side, scattered across the property. She'd picked the one closest to a large thicket, in case someone tried to sneak by in the bushes. As soon as she was well hidden inside, she'd tried to make a trip wire out of string and nails she'd found in the house.

The trap was a bit too simple, but she was still sort of proud. For now, all she can do is stay here and keep a look out for Naruto or anyone else she can trust. It's been a few hours since the game has started, and she's done nothing but running and hiding. She's scared enough as it is, and hasn't even moved from her lookout spot since she set up the trap.

Her lookout spot happened to be underneath the kitchen table, where she could see out a nearby window when it wasn't dark outside. There isn't any way to tell time, she guesses it's probably around six right now. Who knew so much could happen in just a few hours? Her life had been turned upside down by that Orochimaru freak, for no reason at all. Deep down inside, she knows there HAS to be a reason.

It's no secret that Konoha is home to some nasty pieces of work. Sakura won't deny that she's done some things too, okay, she's done a lot of things she shouldn't have. However, that's no reason for her to die. Even Deidra and Sasori didn't deserve that kind of punishment. The purpose of the program was to get rid of youth that would slow down the government and be a burden to society (She'd had to write an essay on the topic last year.)

She was planning to become a doctor when she graduated, like that was going to slow down the government. It just wasn't fair. Suigetsu's death was still on her mind, ever since she'd left the classroom. She didn't like him at all, hate was a strong word to say, but she'd hated him with every fiber of her being. He'd corrupted Sasuke, back when they'd been good friends.

Sakura and Sasuke were close for a long time, and together they were a permanent fixture of Naruto's friend group. The three of them did everything together. You would never see one without the other two. Except for Sasuke, he tended to drift off on his own. People never really were his forte. When he started hanging around that Suigetsu and Karin, everything changed. It was the little things first.

He became even more distant (If that was even possible for a guy like Sasuke), he stopped hanging around them, and even stopped coming to school for awhile. When Sakura had showed up on his doorstep, crying and begging him to come back, he'd just slammed the door right in her face. That had been last summer, Sasuke had improved since then. She hoped his change of heart really wasn't fake.

Sakura sighs, her fingers drifting to her Uzi that's been lying in her lap. When she got here, she unpacked her bag and was pleasantly surprised to find that her weapon was a gun. Not just any gun, but a very good one, a semi automatic Uzi. She could really do some damage with that. For once, she didn't feel completely useless.

She clutches the gun in one hand and uses her other to quietly unzip her bag. By some miracle, she'd managed to sneak her phone onto the bus when they'd left for the trip. The video had told them that phones and internet wouldn't work on the island, and any attempts would just redirect the line to the school building, but she has to try.

Shakily, her hands press the buttons for emergency contacts. Her mom and dad are on there, but what good can they do? The government killed traitors of any kind. There had be some other way for her to get help. She's scrolling through her contacts again, when there's a slight rustling of leaves outside. The footsteps that follow afterwards are so soft and careful, she doesn't notice them.

A branch outside cracks, and both of Sakura's hand instinctively drift to her gun. The phone slips out of her grasp and falls to the wooden floor then, the screen busting immediately from impact. Shit, that phone was supposed to be her means of escape. How could she be so careless? A broken phone is the least of her problems, because someone is trying to open the locked door. The doorknob rattles, but doesn't give way just yet.

She tries to squeeze her body even further against the wall, silently praying that the tablecloth will hide her if the intruder comes inside. The person outside tries to open the door again, and she points the Uzi at the doorway. Sakura isn't sure if she should shoot or not if they do get inside, is she really going to play the game this easily?

Maybe she's overacting, the person could be totally innocent. Still, she's absolutely terrified. All of a sudden, the door swings open. This person knows how to pick a lock, what kind of teenager could do something like that so easily? The stranger steps inside, obviously avoiding the tripwire like it was nothing. Whoever this is, they're just outsmarted her.

"Who's there?" A feminine voice calls out. Her shoes click against the floor while she inspects the house, and Sakura stiffens. She's sure she knows this voice, she just isn't sure who's it is. "I'm not going to hurt you." Oh god, this girl had heard the phone hit the floor. From her hiding place, Sakura can see the edges of the girl's skirt, and her unnaturally pretty legs covered by her stockings.

The girl is looking around the kitchen now, opening every cabinet and peering inside. _Please please please go away,_ Sakura silently pleads inside her mind. She doesn't want to have to shoot someone who might not even be dangerous. Pots and pans clatter to the floor, and it seems like she's checking everything. Once that part of the kitchen has been searched, footsteps start to come closer and closer, until-

"Ah, there you are," says the girl nonchalantly, and Sakura has to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. Ino had lifted the tablecloth up, to find Sakura under the table with her knees hugged to her chest. Her eyes widen in shock, she really can't believe what she's seeing.

"Ino!" Sakura says excitedly, and she feels almost silly for being afraid. There was no way Ino was going to kill her, she was probably just as scared as Sakura was. Ino grins and reaches her hand out to help her up, Sakura gladly taking it once she's crawled out from under the table. The two girls embrace, and Sakura smiles happily, she's so relieved.

Ino's blue eyes drift down to Sakura's Uzi when breaks free of the hug, and she says, "You're the last person I expected to have THAT." Her eyes are full of something, jealousy? Sakura feels sort of bad, Ino must've gotten a lousy weapon. Thankfully, they'd ran into each other.

"I know, I got lucky!" Sakura says happily, dusting her skirt off to stand beside Ino. It's only been a couple of hours, so she hasn't expected any sort of major damage, but Ino looks as flawless as ever. She doesn't have a single scratch or hint of dirt on her, hell, even her lipstick isn't smudged in the slightest. There isn't a hair sticking out of her perfect blonde ponytail either. She doesn't look like she's been running around in the woods, compared of Sakura.

When the woman had called her name, Sakura had sprinted as fast as she could. It didn't matter that her shoes got dirty or she tripped a couple of times, she wasn't going to get caught. Briars and branches had nicked at her legs and gave her a couple tiny cuts that had mixed with dirt on her legs, but she didn't care as long as she was safe. There were no mirrors nearby, so she could only guess that she looked like a mess compared to Ino the beauty queen.

"You look like shit," Ino says, as if she's reading Sakura's mind and broadcasting her thoughts. Sakura just rolls her eyes, even in a situation like this, her friend was going to say those things!

"Sorry, I forgot to bring my makeup to the death match." Ino's expression turns angry at that comment, but her face quickly softens. "Anyway," Sakura tries to change the subject, "Are you okay?"

Ino nods. "Yeah, Choji is with me. He's out at one of the other houses trying to find some crap we can use. We're gonna try to find Shikamaru soon, he's the only one I know who can gets us out of here." Sakura is relieved to hear that Ino hasn't mentioned anything about killing yet, so she assumes that neither of them intend to obey Orochimaru.

"I'm glad you've got Choji. Naruto is supposed to meet up with me later, I haven't seen him yet." She knows Ino thinks Naruto is an idiot and all, but he could be a good ally. They're almost best friends too, she isn't leaving him behind!

"Mhm.. he's practically useless though. Can't run, can't fight too well, can't help me out, I don't like those qualities in a man," Ino says sadly. She's seriously going to say that about Choji? He wasn't a bad guy, just a little lazy.

"But you've got me now, we can work together to find a way out. I'm sure Choji has something he's good at too, maybe not in combat, but something else," Sakura tries to reason. With Ino here, she doesn't feel too scared anymore, and has a reason not to hide like a coward. She's going to leave with Ino and Choji, and they're going to find Shikamaru.

Ino's eyes have that glint in them again, like they had when she saw Sakura's gun. "About that.. do you remember when you got that dress I wanted? During Golden week? The pretty red one without the straps, do you remember?" Her tone is harsh, and it makes Sakura back away just a little. Why was she asking this?

Sakura swallows, and her eyes are anywhere but on Ino. "Yeah, I remember. Why? I thought we were leaving now?" She picks her bag up off the ground and hoists it over her shoulder as if to confirm that, never loosening the grip off her gun. She's puzzled by Ino's sudden reminiscing, especially about a bad memory.

Ino shrugs her question off like its nothing, and continues to ramble on. "Do you remember when Sasuke was in the hospital and I stayed by his side for two days? You told the nurses to tell him that YOU had been there all that time." Ino's glare is dangerously icy, and her smile is long gone by now. Sakura's eyes widen. She had no idea anyone knew about that, it was supposed to be between her and the hospital staff.

"I'm sorry, I should've told you.. I was so worried about him." Sakura replies solemnly. It's obvious Ino doesn't care about her apology. She just turns around and stomps back towards Sakura, channeling her frustration about a different incident this time.

"I almost got the highest exam scores last year, in all of my classes. But y'know why I didn't? The teachers were all praising you, cause I was only second best. _'Sakura is a genius!'_, they'd tell me. _'She's amazing!'_ No one likes you, if you're not the winner." Ino says, her words piercing Sakura like a dagger. For all these years, she's always tried to do better than the other. It had almost turned into a real competition. She had no idea Ino felt the same way, behind their seemingly false friendship. That didn't mean she hated her and wished for her death, Ino was still her friend no matter what.

"Two years ago, you punched me in the face and gave me me a black eye. For days, everyone laughed at me like I was trash. They all wouldn't stop talking about how I got my ass kicked by someone like you." Ino spats, and it's obvious that she's not playing around anymore. She inches closer and closer to Sakura, and pulls something silver out from under the waistband of her skirt. A kunai.

"Ino, I-"

"Shut up, you dumb bitch. I don't know what Sasuke, Naruto, or HIM, see in you, you're nothing but useless! You always take everything from me, thinking you're so much better. For years, I've been jealous of what you think you are. Everyone thought you were so beautiful and smart, even with that enormous forehead, not to mention your ego!" Ino screams angrily. She's had enough, and finally pins Sakura against the wall, pressing the tip of her blade against her neck as a warning.

Sakura doesn't have time to get a word in, because Ino has already started yelling again again, but she's got to do something fast or Ino will kill her. She's too shocked to react at first, until Ino's free hand grabs Sakura's collar to hold her still, while the other holds the Kunai. Sakura doesn't think, she just kicks Ino in the shin, earning a pained cry. She lifts the gun to aim it, but Ino throws a punch at her arm and causes it to drop to the floor. The gun's safety was off, and the moment it hits the ground, a loud bang is heard and a bullet is wasted. The sudden gunshot surprises Ino and she jumps backwards in shock, letting her guard down.

Sakura uses this moment to get away and dives for the floor. She crawls towards her weapon, and her hands are nearly on the smooth metal when Ino grabs her by the hair and pulls hard. It smarts a tiny bit, but Sakura's pain tolerance is way above a tug to the hair. She tries to wriggle free, but Ino's shoe comes down on her back to leave her in an immobile state. No matter how hard she struggles, Ino's foot has her pressed against the cold floor like a lion does to it's prey right before it tears into it.

"Just give up, Sakura. I'm not gonna stop till you're dead. There's only one winner this time, and I'll be damned if it's you!" Ino shouts in triumph. Sakura already knows the other is smirking, and the kunai is now inches from her skin. Her trembling fingers reach out for the gun again, but Ino is quick enough to move her foot to step on the outreached hand. Sakura screams when her fingers are bent back from the force, the pain is enough to make her want to do more than scream. She doesn't want to die here, she can't die here. She won't die here.

While Ino moved her foot, she was too hasty to realize the opening that gave her enemy. The throbbing pain is searing through every inch of Sakura's hand, but she manages to grab Ino's leg and send her falling on her face. The kunai is thrown across the room, and Sakura uses this opportunity to get her firearm back. In a quick motion she reaches for the gun and holds it as tightly as she can, spinning around to face Ino. Obviously, she's still flat on her face, but unsurprisingly recovers quickly.

Sakura aims the gun right at Ino's chest, but some sort of invisible force has stopped her from pulling the trigger. Her finger is resting right above it, something is just preventing her from squeezing it like she's supposed to.

"Guilt, huh? You're too much of a pussy to do it." Ino says, pulling herself off the ground to sit up. She's as defenseless as it gets, besides her fists. She'd be gone in an instant if Sakura just pulled the damn trigger. What's stopping her? She doesn't know exactly how to describe the feeling. Ino's death would be out of self defense, she'd went in for the kill first. Sakura just can't bring herself to kill someone who's been in her life for nearly her entire 16 years.

Sakura's face turns serious, and she lowers her gun and looks Ino square in the eye. "You don't deserve it. Sure, I'm pissed off at you right now, does that give me the right to end your life? I thought you were my friend, and I don't care if you say otherwise. You still are."

"I don't have time for this mushy shit," Ino states. It's barely a second before she dives right back into the fight, her fist colliding with Sakura's jaw. Sakura didn't have time to block the attack, but with Ino leaning right over her, she has time to do something else. Ino's fist is smashing into her cheek, but despite that, Sakura squeezes her eyes shut. She takes a deep breath, aims, then fires.

BANG

Then it's over. Ino falls to a crumpled heap beside her, looking utterly shocked. Two bullet holes are pierced into her stomach and one in her chest, blood oozing out of each one of them faster than a leak in a pipe. She's losing blood so rapidly, a red puddle is quickly forming around her and growing. Ino's face twists into an expression of excruciating pain. Sakura is so shocked she can do nothing but sit and observe what she's just caused. For once in her lifetime, Ino looks utterly pathetic.

"I-I.. can't believe you," She mutters weakly. There was no doubt the shots were fatal, so Ino is fighting her impending doom as hard as he can. Her eyelids are starting to flutter, but she struggles to keep them open so she can finish what she has to say. The pain she's in right now must have been unbearable. "You've beat me... again. Gotta hand that to you."

"Do you hate me?" Sakura asks hesitantly. "I'm so sorry.." She still can't believe what she's done just now. With a heavy heart, she puts the gun down and goes to Ino's side. She's not wounded, but somehow, everything hurts.

"Don't..apologize. Maybe.. I was just jealous... you were.." Ino trails off in a daze, she's fading so fast. "God, I'm.. tired." She's so out of it, Sakura figures she doesn't even notice when she places Ino's clammy hand in hers. They stay like that for a couple minutes, until Ino gathers enough energy to speak again. Ino doesn't even look at her, she just speaks in that weak murmur in her last moments. "You're- You're.. my.. best friend." Sakura can't expect anything more from her than that.

"You're my best friend too. I wish it didn't have to end like this." She has to bite her lip to keep from crying. This is all too much for her to handle. She would give anything for this to just be one of their pointless quarrels that ended with them not speaking for a couple days. Years prior, if someone would have asked her if she would end up gunning down her closest friend in the future, Sakura would've thought they were crazy.

Ino's struggling to stay conscious, it isn't much longer now. She's still managing to talk, even if it's barely audible. "It sucks.." Most people hoped their last words would be something more meaningful than "It sucks", obviously not Ino. The body on the floor goes limp, and Ino Yamanaka is no more. For someone so loud during almost everything, Ino dies in a such a quiet way, it seems almost unnatural. She doesn't protest what's going to happen, or cry, or scream.

Sakura feels like an entirely different person now that she's killed someone. It wouldn't have pained her as much if it had been someone she didn't have such a bond with. From the time they were small children, Sakura and Ino were friends. Their friendship wasn't the healthiest thing, but they had a bond not many people could understand. In Junior High, Ino started hanging around a new group of friends, something that seemed to strain their relationship. Every other Friday night, she still climbed through Sakura's window after curfew, like nothing had happened and they were still best friends. Sakura wanted nothing more than to go back in time right now to days like those, maybe she could have prevented this.

When the initial shock wears off, she tries to stand on her wobbly legs and look out the window. Those shots would attract people, unfortunately. What she's going to do is risky, but it's common courtesy. Sakura stumbles outside, being careful to not been seen as she sneaks to the back side of the house. She crouches along the sides of the building, until she reaches the small patch of flowers. Whoever had been living here before the Program evacuation had a garden full of violets. There aren't a lot left, but they're all she's got. She crouches down into the dirt and grabs as many as she can fit in her hands, making sure that she doesn't rip off a single petal.

When she's satisfied with the amount, she returns back inside the house and walks over to where Ino's corpse lay beside the dining room table. Ino's hands are so cold, but that's to be expected. She can't flinch over something like that. Sakura takes the small boquet of flowers, and wraps Ino's lifeless fingers around the violets. It's her last thank you. Ino always loved flowers more than anything, so she hoped that whenever Ino was now, she was smiling down on the sight. Sakura gathers her supplies up again and places everything back in her bag, except for the gun of course.

She says goodbye to Ino one last time, and leaves the house with tears pooling in her emerald eyes. _  
><em>

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><p><em>Ino storms down the hallway, pushing through the crowds to reach Sakura before she goes to lunch and drifts off into her group. She's keeping a secret that's about to make her burst inside, she has to corner Sakura before she's rescued from confrontation again.<em>

_"Sakura, come here! We're having lunch together, you said so yesterday," Ino says sweetly, ignoring the confused look the other two standing beside Sakura give her. She's never liked that Naruto, or Lee either. For some reason, Sakura attracts those two losers like ants to a piece of candy. Anyway, that's no why she's here. Those two need to get out of the way, and fast._

_Sakura looks even more perplexed than Lee and Naruto combined, but she tells them she did make a promise and that she'll see them later. Both of them nod and continue on to lunch like it's nothing. She watches them until they leave the building, before she turns to Ino with a frown._

_"What's up with that?"_

_"Nothing really, I just wanna chat." Ino's words leave her with an odd feeling, but Sakura shrugs it off and follows her to their usual meeting place. Tons of kids liked eating up on the roof, just not in weather like this. If anyone wanted to have a private conversation during school, they'd do it up there where no one could eavesdrop without being caught. The two girls climb the stairs in silence, and Ino makes sure to shut the door carefully when they arrive at their destination. The cold November air whips at their skin, making Sakura shiver._

_"Shouldn't we just wait? I'm freezing!" She tells Ino, trying to pull her coat around herself tighter. It's close to snowing temperatures, for crying out loud. Ino just sits on the side of the roof, and gestures for the other girl to do the same. Sakura has a feeling she's not getting out of this. Whatever 'this' is, she doesn't quiet know exactly. Still, she does what she's told and sits down beside Ino._

_Ino's blonde ponytail is starting to get messy due to the wind blowing it around so, usually her hands would get right to fixing the smallest flaw in her appearance, but not today. Something big must have happened to her for her to not fuss about her looks. Maybe Sasuke's noticed her after all or some nonsense like that. Yeah, and pigs can fly._

_"So, Sakura. Let's cut to the chase. You've been spending a lot of time with Naruto lately," She says, like that's some sort of taboo. Sakura doesn't exactly like what she's insinuating._

_"He's my friend, why wouldn't I?" Sakura replies, fiddling with the buttons on her coat uncomfortably. If this is another lecture about what an asshole he is, she doesn't have the time to sit here and listen to it._

_Ino keeps her mischievous tone and says, "I think it's kinda funny. A few years ago, you wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole, and now he's your best friend."_

_"You said the same about Shikamaru, and you're out drinking with him nearly every weekend." Sakura shoots her a glare, Ino doesn't notice. It really is getting chilly out here, she wants to get this interrogation over with before her arms freeze off._

_"At least he doesn't act like a 12 year old." Ino snorts. She thinks her sarcastic comments are always comedy gold. "I heard some great gossip though. Your weirdo friend lives in that trashy old orphanage downtown, everyone knows that, but what they don't know is that he's been sneaking out at night. Would you happen to know anything about that?" Sakura's eyes are fixated on her stockings and she pretends to be studying them intently so she doesn't have to see that smirk. _

_"No, I don't," She admits in honesty. That piece of information was new to her, she has no idea what he does after curfew. Stuff like that isn't really her business. Sure, they hang out nearly all the time, but he always comes over to her house and brings his guitar or new movies he's bought off the black market. Visiting the orphanage makes her feel just a tiny bit uneasy._

_Ino doesn't like this answer, and she's starting to pout. "C'mon, you're the only one that would know! Is it something illegal? Is he in a gang? Is he-"_

_Sakura just has to cut her short, she can't stand it. "No, if you care about this so much, why don't you ask him instead of me." Ino isn't used to being interrupted like that, so she looks like someone's just slapped her across the face. Ouch. _

_"He won't tell me anything," Ino insists. "Pretty please, can you find out why? Kiba wants to know too, not just me."_

_"No."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because, you act like he's my boyfriend or something. I have nothing to do with whatever's going on, and why would I?"_

_Ino's next remark is something that make's Sakura feel absolutely betrayed. "He may not be your boyfriend, but he's keeping your secret." Mixed with the cold atmosphere, Sakura feels even more frigid than before. _

_"That's another thing you're wrong about. He doesn't have a clue." Ino snickers, it's obvious she doesn't believe a single word of what she's saying. _

_"You really want me to believe I'm the only one?_

_"You're not." Sakura has to admit. Someone else is bearing the burden of what she's been hiding inside for all these months. She'd never tell Ino who it was in a million years._

_"Then it's not a real secret." Ino says playfully, resting her palm against her cheek in boredom. _

_"Can we just shut up about it?"_

_"Fine, Fine. But don't think he isn't going to find out. Everyone's going to find out about it eventually, and when they do- I'm really going to pity you."_

_Sakura feels sick then, and it isn't just from missing her lunch._

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><p>39 students remaining.<p>

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><p><strong><em>Author's note: This took me way too long. I've had a headache for 3 days, and by the time I stopped feeling like shit I got writer's block. Bad writer's block. Can you guess what Sakura's big secret is? Probably not. She's not in Akatsuki or any stupid plot twist like that, just warning you. The action was sorta anticlimatic, but aren't Ino and Sakura's fights like that anyway? *Shot* <span><br>_**

**_Don't forget to review!_**


	4. Enter Akatsuki

If they had been anywhere besides this damned island, Naruto would be about of burst inside because of all this time he was spending with Sasuke. God, just thinking something like that makes him feel so immature, yet so giddy at the same time. Sasuke cooperating was about as common as a zombie apocalypse, so all this is surprising.

The two had successfully left the school zone without seeing a corpse or getting injured yet, thankfully. Naruto's luck could've been better while they were on the move, because he had slid down the bottom part of the bank that led down to the shores. Not only was his ass sore, falling like that was embarrassing! Finding a cave wasn't a very hard task, Sasuke's sharp eyes had spotted one while they were walking along the rocky beach. It wasn't the ideal home, but it wasn't too small or very visible, those conditions that could protect them for a short time. The cave was tucked in beneath the jagged cliffs, conveniently located several feet away from the ocean.

Bumpy copper colored rocks were what apparently had formed the cave, making the surface on the inside surprisingly smooth and free of any huge stalagmites hanging from the ceiling. Looking at it from the outside, Naruto had noticed it was an odd shape, like a weird distorted circle or something of the sort.

Appearances made it not look so bad, until the pair actually stepped inside. The musty smell is the first thing that gets Naruto, but it's nothing compared to the stench of blood that was inside the classroom. Grainy sand gets all over their clothes too, so Sasuke has to empty their bags out so they can use them as seats, since neither of them want a bunch of sand down their pants.

This really does suck. A musty old cave is just the least of their problems, dying would be a lot worse. Naruto knows they're not going to die though, that's bullshit. Neither of them are playing this game, and no one else will, if he can help it. He's going to save everyone and make sure they all get out of this. Sasuke doesn't exactly like this plan, he thinks its ridiculous.

Which brings to the current situation, two teenage boys arguing in a crowded cave.

"There's going to be one person that plays. At least one, it's logical to think there are going to be even more."

"Not if we stop them first!" This response makes Sasuke roll his eyes for what seems like the billionth time that day. He knows better than to try and reason with Naruto of all people. Someone who cares more about their humanity than survival isn't going to last long out here, and if he hadn't showed up, Naruto would've probably died by now. It's strange, how... odd imagining that scenario makes him feel. The teeniest bit of pity an emotion he'd thought he'd forgotten long ago.

Sasuke drops that train of thought, and sighs loudly. "Orochimaru hasn't done the first announcement yet, therefore we don't have any way to tell how many are deceased, besides Suigetsu of course."

"Well yeah, but how do we know that anyone else is do what that old fart says! Everyone else could be teaming up right now, like us," Naruto insists. He would've tried harder to prove his classmate's innocence, if there hadn't been a loud bang the moment he opened his mouth. It's pure irony that they hear a gunshot in that exact moment.

Out of instinct, Sasuke draws his massive sword from its case and stands up, grasping tightly to its hilt. He'd known it was a chokuto, similar to a samurai sword. If an enemy had guns it would be near useless, close range attacks were a different matter. He knew there was more to swordplay than just swinging it around, every single move couldn't be wasted.

"Be quiet," He instructs Naruto, then slowly slips out of the cave. It looks like no one is lurking around the beach, but the gunshot was far off anyway. Sasuke's eyes dart up towards the cliffs, where he sees a frightened looking girl standing there watching them. She doesn't try to attack from afar, she just stands there like a statue. Sasuke doesn't know this girl well, however the brown ponytail tells him that it's probably Hokuto.

She's one of the typical goody two shoes students that never gets into trouble or involved in other people's matters, she also happens to be one of the girls that worshipped him like a god. He could only describe her as a sort of background character. The two stand there and just stare at each other in a daze, until there are three more simultaneous gunshots that ring out in the air. Obviously, the noise frightens Hokuto even more, and she accomplishes what she was planning to do in the first place. Commit suicide.

Sasuke doesn't see much, because it happens too fast for him to even blink. One second her thin body is tumbling off of the steep cliff in the way a rag doll would fall, and the next her corpse is speared by one of the ocean's sharp rocks like a shish kabob. The rock had made a giant gaping hole through the majority of her stomach, and slick blood and bits of intestines were getting washed out to sea. Before, the water had been a clear shade of blue, mixed with the dark shadows the night gave off.

Now, it was just a vile shade of crimson red in the small patch of water surrounding the jagged rocks. Salty waves continue to crash against the rocks, but her body is still skewered there for everyone to see. Anyone who came towards the cliffs wouldn't have to do anything but look down to see that bloody mess. Those previous gunshots had been enough to confirm to her that everyone was getting serious about the program, and Sasuke assumed that had caused her to jump. What a coward.

Despite what Sasuke had told him, Naruto comes running out of their shelter when he hears the gunfire, making as much noise as possible. He doesn't even try to keep his footsteps quiet, or the horrified sound he makes when he sees Hokuto.

"Oh my god, she's.. she's.."

Sasuke has to interrupt. "Yes, she's dead. I saw her end her own life mere seconds ago." He's used to seeing disappointment in people's eyes, so he doesn't really notice the small flash of frustration in Naruto's.

"Why didn't you stop her?!" He asks angrily, finally tearing his eyes away from the mangled corpse to look at Sasuke. Naruto is heartbroken to find that Sasuke doesn't even look the least bit upset or sad after witnessing what just happened. He just stands there examining his sword, more concerned about it than the death. Sasuke finally ties the sword back around his belt and folds his arms over his chest in impatience.

"She knew she was going to die soon regardless, what good would small talk have done? Given her some self confidence before someone else slaughtered her?" Sasuke retorts in a mocking tone. Naruto really can't believe him, he's so pissed right now he's seeing red. Sure, Hokuto wasn't really his friend, but that didn't exclude her from being a human being!

"She might have joined us! We could've helped her!" He shouts back at Sasuke. That would've better than being a bystander and watching her jump without even making an effort.

"We don't need someone like that. As a matter of fact, we don't need anyone else. I don't even need you, you're just slowing me down in the long run," Sasuke claimed, a little too honestly. Were those his true feelings? Maybe, maybe not.

Naruto looks at Sasuke with the most disappointed expression he can manage. He feels insulted, even if that comment was minor. "I know why you act this way, I just don't get why you want to."

"Don't try to sound smart about things you don't understand," Sasuke mutters, his fists clenching slightly.

"Sasuke, you can still be-"

"I suggest you stop this discussion and go back 'inside'. Arguing out here would be nothing but foolish," Sasuke states calmly, not showing a single hint of emotion. Naruto doesn't understand how someone as amazing as Sasuke can let himself start slipping into his old ways. Still, complying with his orders was much better than fighting. The two head back inside the cave and sit down on their bags again. Everything is silent- too silent.

"Do ya think anyone is gonna come down here after they see her?" Naruto finally asks, breaking the icy silence Sasuke has created. He was really scary when he wanted to be. Their last conversation was still making him really uncomfortable, mixed with the rigid atmosphere Hokuto's suicide had left.

"No. We should be safe for a short time, until daylight. No place is safe until we have a GUN to protect ourselves with," Sasuke says exasperatedly. Naruto knows that's another sly dig about his chopsticks, but it wasn't his fault Orochimaru had a fucked up sense of humor! Besides, he's still fuming, this was no time for Sasuke to be sarcastic.

His eyes narrow, landing on Sasuke's sword. "What are ya gonna do with that, poke someone? Now it's Sasuke's turn to be pissed off. He had an actual weapon, not a pair of chopsticks that would snap in half if you stepped on them.

"This sword could easily behead someone. Would you like to be first?" Sasuke quips back, leaning against the cave wall. They've been in the game a few hours, and have accomplished nothing but quarreling since then, not even a single plan. If they wanted to survive, they were gonna have to do better than this.

"Don't say stuff like that Sasuke, you're freaking me out," Naruto forced a nervous laugh and scooted in the other direction a little ways. Had Sasuke been serious when he'd said he was in the way? "Anyhow..."

"Hm," Sasuke replies, not very interested in what he had to say. If it was some sort of half assed plan, he didn't have much faith in it at the moment. Naruto was probably still grieving for Hokuto, he'd never seen anyone die out of their own will, and wouldn't be able to think straight. Anyone who experiences a death of someone they know for the first time will undoubtedly feel that emptiness.

"First, we need to find Sakura and make sure she's okay. Then we're finding a way out of here, hopefully Shikamaru isn't far away and he can help us out somehow. He's smart enough to figure things out." Naruto is explaining it seriously, so he's confused when Sasuke begins to smirk viciously.

"You believe those 'friends' will really help you?"

"Of course I do! They're my friends, that's what they're supposed to do. "

"You really aren't taking this seriously," Sasuke sighs. "Trust no one. What if Shikamaru takes you far off somewhere, and says that this is crucial for your escape. Naturally you're going to believe him, until he pulls out a pistol and puts lead through you." Naruto doesn't want to believe a word of what he's saying, Shikamaru would never pull a dirty trick like that!

"He wouldn't do that to me, you're just thinking about it too much. Besides, I trust you, and all my friends." He tells Sasuke, looking into his cold eyes. Something tells him that Sasuke doesn't reciprocate that trust. It gives him a strange sense of déjà vu.

"Do you really trust me?" Sasuke says, drumming his fingers against the shaft of his sword. Naruto doesn't have to say it, he's always trusted Sasuke, even when he changed. A part of him wants to flat out express just how much he cares about him. Not in some big flashy love confession that the whole world can hear and see, but something more discreet.

"I asked you a question," Sasuke affirms, sounding annoyed and impatient.

"Yeah, I do. More than Sakura, or Iruka.. even the old pervert." Naruto admits, smiling at him. Sasuke doesn't return it, he just raises an eyebrow. In their years together, he'd figured out that in 'Sasuke language', raising an eyebrow meant he was amused or shocked. Right now, this small confession was enough to trigger that.

"How idiotic of you, I've come to expect that. Trusting me is one of your biggest mistakes, especially at the moment. Who says I won't pull out my blade and kill you right now?"

Naruto doesn't have to think about his answer, he just knows it like the back of his hand. "Cause, I trust you enough to know you won't."

"And if I did?" Sasuke asks. It's a strange question, he knows that before he asks it.

"If it means you could live, I wouldn't mind too much. Yeah, I've got hopes and dreams and all that good stuff, but so do you. Maybe my ghost would come back and haunt your ass." Naruto teases, hoping it'll lighten the conversation. Serious talks weren't something he enjoyed. His answer is enough to earn another raised eyebrow from Sasuke. Would Sasuke end up betraying him if they couldn't escape? If it came down to the two of them, could he really sacrifice himself for Sasuke's future? Wasn't that what it truly meant to care about someone?

"My aspirations are very different from yours," Sasuke remarked. It was true they were complete opposites in any way you looked it at. There wasn't really denying that.

"Just cause we're different, doesn't mean I can't look out for you. We're a team now. " Sasuke doesn't look very affected by that answer. As always, he was so stubborn, even in times like this. All Naruto wanted to do was protect him from whatever this game would throw at him, until one of the two died- No, he wasn't gonna think stuff like that. They weren't going to die, no matter what.

These questions were just too heavy. Life and death weren't exactly subjects Naruto contemplated often. His parents had been dead since he was a baby, so he didn't have anything to miss when it came to their deaths. How could you miss something that was never there? Often, he fantasized about what having a real family was like, what his parents had been like. It left him a little sad, but not enough to hurt very bad.

When Suigetsu had died, he had been upset, because Suigetsu didn't deserved his fate. He was a bad person, but that didn't mean he couldn't improve himself. Sasuke was improving, so could Suigetsu if he'd gotten the chance. Naruto firmly believed that a person could change, and that they weren't bound by silly things like destiny. Neji told him that was moronic, but he didn't care what Neji thought.

No one had believed Gaara would ever become a different person either, but lo and behold, Naruto had managed to fix him. It wasn't an easy process, it was something that took months and was a constant struggle everyday. Gaara just needed someone to believe in him, that was what had truly made a difference. If anyone had cared enough about Suigetsu, he probably wouldn't have been such an asshole. At least, that's what Naruto thinks.

"You wish." Sasuke finally replies. Maybe it is just a wish. Naruto can't imagine a life without Sasuke, as crazy as it sounds. Affection was an odd thing. Ever since they were kids, Sasuke was around. Back then Naruto was nothing but jealous of him. Everything he could do, Sasuke would always do it better and brag about his accomplishments. Sports, grades, everything. Things had changed since then, but deep down there was the lingering dread of bitter jealously.

Sasuke stares outside at the ocean, and says, "Your plan is awful, but if I don't agree to it there's no doubt you're going to pester me until I do. We'll leave after the morning announcement and see if we can locate anyone, other people will come sticking their noses down here soon, so we can't stay in one spot for too long. I don't want any allies, unless they're useful."

Naruto can't stop grinning, he's obviously won this time.

* * *

><p>Akatsuki was once the most powerful gang organization in Konoha. They were the reason people started to lock their doors at night, the reason the hair on people's necks would stand straight up just at the mention of their name. No one really knew who all belonged to Akatsuki, except that they all wore red and black cloaks with a strange design on them. If you happened to run into Akatsuki, they'd make sure it was your last encounter with anyone. They were ruthless criminals, who wanted nothing more than power and the cheap thrills of violence. Someone had even started spreading it that one of their members had been in the program, before he'd suddenly decided to quit Akatsuki.<p>

Or at least they had been the most feared, until one night nearly a year ago. Rumors regarding that night were always warping as they were passed along, so the minor details had never come to light. One thing that everyone knew for sure was that Akatsuki had been disbanded. The majority of its members were wiped out in some alleyway in the 'less than friendly' neighborhood of Konoha. There were only two survivors from that night; Deidra, and Sasori. While the rest of the gang had ended up with major injuries and bled out quickly, both of them escaped with only a couple of broken bones and bruises.

After they'd gotten out of the hospital, the two had made a vow to avenge Akatsuki. They were going to get revenge on that little group of snotty brats who thought they were so high and mighty. In the meantime, they didn't know what they were going to do. Deidra had always been interested in his art, so that was one thing to keep him occupied, while Sasori worked on his puppetry. As time passed, there was an empty void growing in the two of them. Without their gang, what was their purpose? They couldn't just stand by and tolerate this domesticated lifestyle.

Sasori and Deidra both longed for those nights of crime and torture again. It seemed they would never again go ripping the price tags off of merchandise, and come home at 4 in the morning to wash the blood off their hands. Neither would admit, but in the back of both of their closets were the small cases they stored their rings in, a symbol of their dedication and membership to Akatsuki. Ever since that fateful day, neither of them even wore the rings once. Deidra had contemplated throwing his away, while Sasori stored his immediately. The two sometimes talked about getting them out again and starting a new gang- What a fucking joke.

The only thing that seemed to drive them now was getting their revenge. It seemed nearly impossible, while they were still in school and being 'good boys'. However, when Deidra realized they had just gotten into the program, he was ecstatic. Sasori was too, he was just bad at showing it initially. This would be their chance to finally avenge themselves, and make sure Akatsuki lived on in some way. Of course, there was the slim chance both of them would end up dying, but Deidra doubted that. He was a skilled fighter, and had killed many many people like it was nothing. Like everything else, fighting was a special sort of art. His targets would be the canvases, his fists were the brushes, and blood did make an extraordinary paint. It just took a little bit of practice.

So far, they hadn't killed a single soul out here. Deidra was getting a tad bit bored of just running around in this cat and mouse game, he had always been impatient and in a huge hurry. Sasori just lead him through the huge forest without a word, ignoring his new partner's constant complaints. This island seemed to be nothing but trees, plants, and dirt. All these trees made a perfect place to hide, so they hadn't been able to spot anyone. What a shame, Deidra really wanted to test out these grenades he'd gotten. He'd been wondering if they did a better job of blowing someone up than those collars.

The two reached a rickety old bridge that led from one half of the island to the other. Below it was a large drop off that led straight into a winding river, which meant if the fall didn't kill you, hitting one of those rocks down there in the water would. With every step Deidra took across it, the bridge shook a little bit more. He couldn't die from falling off of this bridge, how lame!

"This is so troublesome Sasori, yeah?" he yelled across. Sasori nodded, waiting for Deidra to cross so they could keep going. Sunlight was starting to peek out from behind the endless thickets and tall trees, which would make their lives a little bit easier. After a few more careful steps, Deidra just gave up and decided to sprint across. The bridge creaked and make all kinds of awful noises, but he'd accomplished getting across, regardless. Now, he just had to wait for Sasori, who's approach was very different. He didn't try to mimic Deidra, and made sure to time his footsteps carefully, for his safety and in case someone heard.

Deidra sighed and blurted out, "Hurry up! You do wanna go home and play with your barbies sooner, don't ya?" Sasori glared at him, and after that outburst he seemed to walk even slower just to be an annoyance. When Deidra got overexcited about something, Sasori always found a way to get on his nerves. At an incredibly slow pace, Sasori managed to cross at last. The two stepped over the overgrowth of bushes, only to be met with a rustling sound nearby.

"Who's there? I'll blow your ass to bits!" Deidra hollered as loud as he could, his voice echoing across the cliffs. The rustling ceased, and every nearby branch and bush was as still as they were before. Sasori walked off in the other direction to investigate, while Deidra poked around nearby. There weren't any tracks or any other signs of life at all left behind from whoever was sneaking around.

"They saw us crossing the bridge," Sasori said, stating the obvious. "Whoever's hiding must have been watching us carefully this entire time."

"That pisses me off! Whoever you are, you're gonna get it," Deidra was fuming, and his hands fumbled down to unzip his bag so he could get ready to throw a grenade. It was probably a waste, but he didn't care. A shadow mixed with his, and before Deidra had time to realize it, there was a tall boy standing behind him. He was taller than the majority of people Deidra had even seen, which was a huge contrast to the rest of his appearance. That silver hair and those dorky looking glasses made him look like a child, it was his height and snake like eyes that really made him scary.

"I'm not here to attack, I'm here to make a proposition with you two," The tall boy offered, smiling wickedly. He had a gun in one of his hands, things weren't looking good for them. Sasori was still trying to take in his appearance, while Deidra's hand was still reaching for his grenade. The intimidating figure reached down and grabbed his wrist with enough force to nearly snap it- what a guy.

"What do you want?" Sasori asked, narrowing his eyes. Kabuto kept watching them with that sickening little grin of his.

"Like I said, I'm here to make a deal," Kabuto stated, Deidra's wrist still in his grip.

"What kind of deal..?" Deidra spoke up. He was already in deep shit, if he even tried to move, this weirdo would break his bones. How could he get overpowered so easily?

"You give a little, I give a little, we all receive." Kabuto tried to give away as few details as possible. Sasori knew good and well what kind of tactic this was, they'd used it a lot in Akatsuki.

"This sounds like you want to blow me, rather than make a deal," Deidra retorted snarkily. Who the hell was this guy? He'd transferred in their class at the beginning of the semester, and was about as mysterious as the Akatsuki itself. No one knew much about Kabuto at all.

"No, I'd rather not even touch someone as disgusting as you, but here we are," Kabuto said dryly, then promptly continued on. "I won't kill you two, if you hand over your weapons quietly, and don't make a struggle.

"Fine," Sasori agrees, and he takes a small line out of his pocket and places it on the ground next to his feet. He had gotten nothing but a small string of wire, like you'd tie around a puppet. Deidra had really been the only one out of the pair who'd gotten an actual weapon.

"Sasori! Don't agree to this," Deidra tried to reason, wincing when Kabuto squeezed his wrist harder until it breaks. The pain shoots up his entire arm, and it hurts so much that Deidra would scream if he wasn't this tough. Breaking a bone was some of the worst pain imaginable, and now he's having to experience it again. He bites down on his lip, drawing a trickle of blood. This Kabuto guy wasn't screwing around.

"Now, for yours," Kabuto says cheerfully, and bends over to get into Deidra's bag. Deidra has to act quickly, so he leans over and sinks his teeth into Kabuto's arm. They pierce through the thin fabric of his jacket, and he clamps down on the skin as hard as he can. Kabuto growls and tries to shake him off, but Deidra only bites harder until his mouth is filled with something coppery. He gets kicked in the stomach several times, apparently Kabuto isn't backing down. Each kick hurts more than the last, making his urge to vomit almost unbearable whenever the air is knocked out of his body. Sasori jumps to his rescue and throws a punch to Kabuto's face. The lenses of his glasses shatter down the middle, but he isn't injured from the blow.

Sasori grits his teeth and tries to hit him again, until Kabuto fires a warning shot into the ground. Oh right, that bastard has a gun. The bullet is lodged into the dirt, but it's causes Deidra stop biting him due to the noise and shock. They've all heard gunshots before in close range, but Deidra knows its aimed at him and backs off. Kabuto looks at the two of them with his vicious eyes, Sasori standing there in a fighting stance, and Deidra backed up against a tree like it's his life preserver.

"I thought we had a deal," He says calmly, wiping some of the blood of the wound Deidra gave him. The teeth marks are still embedded into his skin like a scar - how distasteful.

Deidra glares at him and snarls, "Deal's off."

"What a shame." is Kabuto's reply. Then, he's charging at them again. His fist is headed right for Deidra's nose, but his hand flies up to block the fist from coming any closer. Kabuto is strong, really strong, and Deidra's hand is starting to waver as it blocks his fist. It doesn't make much sense, because Kabuto is skinnier than a broom handle. How could he easily be at Deidra or Sasori's level? Sasori comes up behind Kabuto and wraps his massive arms around his waist to sling him to the ground, Kabuto's other hand just happens to be faster. His aim is majorly off, but his pistol still fires and lands a lucky shot to Sasori's foot. The sound isn't as loud as they'd expect, since the barrel was almost touching the ground anyway, inches from Sasori's shoe.

Sasori howls in pain, his entire shoe covered with blood. The world is spinning rapidly and he can't stand up anymore. He falls to the ground in a heap while clutching his injured foot, that looks more like a bloody mass of charred skin now rather than a foot. He tries to stand up on his good leg, but the attempt is fruitless, because he's stumbling right back into the dirt seconds later. Deidra is more than pissed off, and at this point he doesn't care if he misses. Both of his fists are flying at Kabuto, trying to land a punch wherever he can. It's not the best strategy, but he'll be damned if he lets that piece of shit shoot Sasori again.

Kabuto knows how to dodge every single attack that comes his way, perfectly avoiding Deidra's attempts at landing a hit. Deidra's mind tries to go back to his Akatsuki days, of how he could kill someone with almost no effort. Every single one of his victims had barely even fought back, they'd just sat there and let him beat the life out of them. However, he was more skilled in making the team's bombs and explosives more than hand to hand combat. Deidra thought he was tough, but Kabuto was pummeling him like it was child's play.

"I would've expected more out of the great legendary Akatsuki members." Kabuto warns, before pointing his gun down at the wounded Sasori and kicking Deidra back against the tree. The two are completely powerless, because during the struggle Kabuto had grabbed Deidra's bag full of grenades. "What will you do now?"

* * *

><p>38 students remaining.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note: Another sorta late update, my bad. This is the first cliffhanger I've written, OOPS. This was a really hard chapter to write, mostly because I'm not good with Deidra and Sasori's characters. Sorry if you like Kabuto, but I had to make him a dick. Fuck him and his ninja info cards.<strong>_


	5. The art of murder

_It was the first day of school, and Sakura is already having her doubts. She's thrilled that Sasuke is back, his attitude isn't too thrilling though. They'd sat together in homeroom that morning, but Sasuke was as unresponsive as ever. She'd shot him a smile and tried to start conversation, while he'd just sat there and stared at the wall like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen._

_Their second class was also shared, but he'd denied the offer to walk there with her. Sakura just stood there and watched him walk off before heading out on her own when he's disappeared from view. She's relieved to find most of her friends have this next class with her besides Sasuke._

_Naruto pats the seat beside him, and Sakura takes it happily when she spots him. At least someone treats her right around here. She doesn't have to look to know Sasuke is sitting alone in the back of the room. The room is filled with the usual chatter that happens after break- the "Did you do anything fun?"s and the "I don't want to go back to this shitty place."s_

_"I wish this class was over already," Naruto says in boredom, poking Sakura with a pencil. She's always cared about school way more than he has, even if he lets on all the time that he wants to surpass the Dictator himself._

_"The teacher hasn't even gotten here yet," She replies, looking up at the clock. This period was supposed to start ten minutes ago, but there's no teacher in the front of the room._

_"Better for us then!" Naruto sounds too happy about that observation. No one else in the room doesn't seem to care much either, they're all goofing off or talking._

_"More like better for you, you don't really care at all."_

_"That's true!"_

_"You just want to slack off."_

_"Nah, I can't fail again this year. Iruka's already on my case.." This time, he doesn't sound as cheerful._

_Sakura looks at him in confusion. "It's only the first day, and you've managed to piss him off this soon? That must be a record."_

_"He says that if I keep this up, no one's gonna adopt me, y'know? It's kinda true." Sakura must have hit a nerve, because he's looking anywhere but her, while fiddling with his tie and anything he can get his hands on._

_"Everyone messes up, I'm sure what you did wasn't THAT bad." Knowing Naruto, it could have been really bad, but Sakura didn't want to voice that opinion._

_"Forget about it, I screwed up and I'm gonna be alone cause of that. Big deal. "_

_"Don't say that. You have me-" She pauses before adding, "and Sasuke. We're here for you. Screw whatever Iruka says." That was a touchy subject as well, matters pertaining to Sasuke. His name even made her feel a mix of discomfort and sadness._

_"Yeah, you're right I guess. It's not really a big deal." Bullshit, she knows its more than a big deal. Sakura doesn't push it any longer though, and hastily changes the subject. It's only 10 in the morning, and she's already dove into dangerous territory._

_"What do you think is up with this new teacher? It's been nearly 20 minutes, and they're still not here," She mumbles. The new teacher was the only other interesting topic right now. What kind of teacher was THIS late?_

_"I think whoever it is cares less about this than me, and that's saying something." That comment nearly makes Sakura giggle, but she covers her mouth at the last minute. Naruto seemed upset just a minute ago, and despite that the two are already joking around. She's come to expect him hiding his weaknesses._

_Sakura wishes she hadn't turned to look around then, because she sees Karin and Suigetsu join Sasuke. There's no doubt they were scheming something already. She can hear Karin's obnoxious laugh from all the way across the room, and she wants nothing more than to knock that girl's lights out._

_Fortunately, the door swings open before anyone can sense her discomfort. Everyone in the room shuts up as soon as they see the man in the doorway, Sakura included. The man who walks in is tall, definitely taller than anyone else in the class. Oh, he must be the teacher. Her first thought is that he doesn't look much like a teacher._

_His unique appearance looks more scruffy rather than professional. Sakura can't really call what he's wearing a suit, it's more like a mismatched pair of pants and a failed attempt at a dress shirt. In one hand is a coffee mug, and in the other is some questionable literature._

_Something tells her that he's just gotten out of bed. The way his white hair is all messy and tousled is one sign, but for some strange reason- it intrigues her. His half assed outfit or hair isn't what really grabs her attention, it's the fact he's wearing a mask. Not a surgical mask, or a cheap Halloween store mask, but one that effectively covers the majority of his facial features._

_She's not the only one gaping at him, most of the class can't take their eyes off this weirdo. Sakura feels bad thinking he's odd, there must be some reason for the way he dresses. The man sits down at his desk, and his eyes scan each individual student. Sakura doesn't understand a lot of things, especially the way she feels when his visible eye falls on her. It's a shade of brown she's never seen before, almost a light red tone._

_She can't help but stare, it's certainly not like anything she's used to seeing. However the moment doesn't last long, and it's barely a second before his gaze is off of her and on someone else. He just sits there in an awkward silence and stares at all them, like he knows something everyone else doesn't. Who does something like that?_

_"Mornin'. Sorry I'm late, I didn't wanna be here." He yawns and sits back. Never in her entire life has Sakura seen a teacher in this school who wasn't at least a bit professional. This guy still acted like he was in high school too, instead of an adult. _

_"What's your deal? You can't be the teacher!" Ino butts in, standing up from her seat. He ignores the outburst and continues with whatever he was trying to explain in the first place. Sakura doesn't really know what to expect from him at this point._

_"My name's Kakashi. I just introduced myself, so I expect all of you to do the same. I'll start with the front row first," says the mysterious man, now known as Kakashi. Sakura isn't very skilled in etymology, so she doesn't know what his name means or if it's just some nickname. It does slide off her tongue nicely though. Kakashi points one of his slender fingers at Hinata, who's a desk over from Naruto and Sakura._

_"You, go." He instructs her, then turns back to his desk to pick up that dirty book again. The title was Icha Icha paradise- how fitting._

_"My name.. My name is.. Err.." Hinata struggles with her words, and is trying to form a decent sentence. She was like this around new people, everyone knew that fact except Kakashi._

_Kakashi doesn't even bat an eye before announcing, "We'll skip you for now. Next person, go." All eyes are now on Sakura, expecting her to say something more than "Er."_

_"I'm Sakura, and I look forward to being in your class this year, Kakashi-sensei," She says, keeping it short and sweet. After all, she doesn't know anything about this new teacher and doesn't want to make a bad first impression. After she introduces herself, Ino's started whispering to Choji about what a suck up she is._

_Kakashi lowers his book at looks at Ino. "I don't like whispering, why don't you keep that to yourself?" Sakura is pleasantly surprised at his remark- Since when did anyone try to defend her? She sits back down and takes in Ino's surprised expression, which is pure gold. Sakura doesn't know why, but she's dying to know all about this Kakashi now. Someone who had dared back talk Ino was certainly worth her interest. But like they say, curiosity killed the cat._

* * *

><p>Kabuto clearly had the advantage. Sasori couldn't even stand up, and Deidra was helpless when he was pinned down. Neither of the two had really prepared for something like this, in the last few hours they'd just assumed the only ones who'd come after them were weak classmates who would get on their knees and beg for mercy.<p>

"You're one sick bastard, y'know that?" Deidra spats. Kabuto probably already knows this information, as most sick bastards do. He doesn't say anything in return, his only reaction is kicking Deidra again. No matter how many times he gets knocked around, the force of it is as painful as needles piercing into his skin. Kabuto's strength is almost unreal as he slams his foot into Deidra's chest and stomach over and over.

Both of the two know he's planning on ending their lives eventually, but right now he's taking his sweet time. Deidra hopes Sasori can come up with something while he's being beaten like this, otherwise everything will have been for nothing. They can't die this soon, fate really couldn't be THAT cruel, even to them.

While he's being knocked against the bark of the tree, Deidra starts to lose it. He's so fucking angry, he wants the roles to reverse and for Kabuto to be the one being slammed against the tree. It's blind rage, because he can't act upon it. If he even dares hit Kabuto again, the gun will be pointed between his eyes. He has to control the urge to tear that asshole to shreds.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Sasori, who's still face down in the dirt. Some help he was right now. Maybe it was too quick for Deidra to judge, it's not hard to tell that Sasori is trying to move despite the injury. There's a thin string weaved in between his blood coated fingers, but Deidra doesn't have time to think about that because Kabuto's fist hits his eye suddenly. That would definitely bruise later.

"Too bad Akatsuki has really lowered my expectations," Kabuto says in amusement. "I was really looking forward to this, but you two let me down."

"You underestimated me." Kabuto wasn't expecting Saosori to speak up from behind him. He can't move around well, but he moves well enough to grasp something- Kabuto's ponytail. It was the only noticeable weak spot that he had, long hair in battle wasn't very smart. Sasori grabs the strands of grey and yanks him down hard, slamming his skull into the ground.

A rock would've been more efficient, but Sasori supposes this will have to do. Trying to fight back against Kabuto is taking a toll on him already, due to the blood continuously leaking from his injured foot. He's gotten in some pretty nasty fights, gunshots were entirely different though and couldn't even be compared. His entire foot feels like its on fire, burning and searing from the pain.

Despite the aching and throbbing of the wound, Sasori can't give up the fight this soon. All of this has happened so fast, definitely no longer than a couple of minutes, even if it felt like an eternity to him. Kabuto had just came out of nowhere, leaving them unprepared and defenseless out of their initial shock. Obviously that guy knew what he was doing, he was getting serious right off the bat and knew how to win. Had Kabuto been part of some criminal organization before this? Sasori knew good and well how to spot 'unsavory' people, considering he was one of them.

His fingers are trembling significantly, but he still manages to hold Kabuto down long enough to slam his head into the dirt again and again, like hitting a hammer with a nail. Deidra just sits back and watches them, a small smile appearing on his bloodied face. Adrenaline mixed with anger was a deadly combination, he can't wait for Sasori to give him a chance to make Kabuto's body into a crimson masterpiece for all to see. It looked like the tables were finally starting to turn in their favor, all thanks to Sasori. Damn, Deidra will have to actually thank him when they get out of this.

Sasori isn't satisfied till he sees small drops of blood coming from Kabuto's forehead. Kabuto is clearly struggling to fight back, trying to reach out his arms and claw his way out of Sasori's grasp whenever he smashes his head. He's panting heavily too, already strained from their short fight. He was mostly all bark and no bite when it came to actual combat, besides slinging his gun around. _What a goddamn show off,_ Deidra thinks to himself.

"Guns are for actions, not threats. You pussy," Sasori remarks softly, while giving Kabuto's hair another tug and shoving him down again. The bullet lodged in his foot had been nothing more than pure luck in Sasori's opinion. Even if it had just been luck on Kabuto's side, being shot hurt extremely bad and would slow him down in the long run. He's winning now though, and that's enough to keep him going. Finally Sasori's long fingers drift from the silver ponytail to Kabuto's neck, where he places the string that's been clasped in his other palm the entire time. Deidra realizes what he's about to do and tries to hold back from pouting.

"No fair, you get to have all the fun with him. I get to finish this, don't I?" Deidra scoffs. He uses this opportunity to get their bags back, and his primary weapon. As soon as he and Sasori are outta here, he's blowing this place- quite literally. Kabuto tries to say something in reponse, but Sasori wraps his thin string (One obviously made for puppets) around his neck and pushes down. Kabuto's sentence comes out as nothing more than a choked gurgle as his airways are crushed with Sasori's force.

"O-Oro..chimaru would be.. proud," Kabuto chokes out in a near whisper.

"He's crazy, Sasori. Hurry up, kill him," Deidra insists. What was all this Orochimaru bullshit? He knew that guy must have been some government official, no doubt one of the higher ups if he was in charge of the program. Kabuto wasn't some goody goody who followed the rules, so was he wasting his breath on talking about Orochimaru of all people? It was giving Deidra a bad vibe.

Sasori nods and applies more pressure, earning a gasp from Kabuto who's now struggling for air and has dropped his gun, sending it clattering to the ground. Thankfully the safety was on, so Sasori doesn't have to worry about losing another appendage right now.

"I-I sacrificed.. myself.." Kabuto trails off. Deidra shrugs it off as idiotic rambling. Most people responded like this when they were near death, it was normal for them to start spewing their last regrets and other sentimental bullshit. The first person Deidra had killed had done the same thing, except they bad bawled about their family the whole time and how they'd screwed up their future. Victims were getting so predictable. Deidra didn't really have much empathy for a guy who was wasting his final words on Orochimaru and 'sacrifice', but then again, Deidra didn't have much empathy anyway.

"You'd be more tolerable if you were quiet," says Sasori. Kabuto is _still _trying to wriggle free from his death grip, and the small string that's sliced through the thin skin on his neck. It won't be long till he chokes, and Deidra will have one less annoyance in his life. From the pained noises he's making, Kabuto is a goner. His eyes look like they're about to pop out of his head, and a mixture of blood and spit is coming out of his mouth due to the gagging.

"This guy seriously thought he could kill us," Deidra murmurs in disbelief. He reaches into his bag and grabs a grenade, preparing for the aftermath of the other two's fight. Even with his injury, Sasori is the clearly the winner. Kabuto was a nothing more but prey to him.

He'd managed to trick them earlier, but that was way over by now. Sasori takes a moment to study Kabuto's pained face as he strangles him. His hands are spasming, and his body is twitching more than a caffeine addict. The sight is pathetic to Sasori, but humorous to Deidra.

Kabuto's eyes have squeezed shut now, he no longer is trying to fight back. He's accepted defeat, like anyone else in his shoes would. Sasori tries to imagine what he's feeling right now besides unbearable pain and the darkness of looming death. Regret? Anger?

Sasori didn't exactly understand other people's emotions, so he doesn't know why he's searching Kabuto's face for them. His face is scrunched up like he's trying to hide the pain, as Sasori expected. Beads of sweat are mixing with the trickle of blood on his forehead, making him look almost pitiable. The shirt and pants of his uniform are coated with dirt and specks of Sasori's blood.

The only way Sasori can describe him is absolutely disgusting.

"Burn in hell," Sasori says calmly, and then he ends it. Kabuto gasps for air one more time, and then his limp body is dropped to the ground. He dies with his mouth and eyes wide open. Sasori steps on his corpse and crushes the remaining parts of his glasses.

"I don't want to look at this-" Sasori gestures to Kabuto's dead body. "-anymore." Deidra knows the signal and stands up. He's taken quite a beating, but nothing too serious besides his wrist. He slips the grenade into his pants pocket and wraps his arm around Sasori's shoulder to support him.

That short battle had already drained Sasori, now the adrenaline was wearing off and he felt nothing but the stabbing throb of his foot. Deidra was helping him walk, but if they ran into anyone else right now, they were fucked. Fortunately, Deidra could fix this problem. The two make their way out of the endlessness of trees slowly, making sure they keep their distance.

Deidra counts how far they walk while helping the limping Sasori along. They don't really care about what they've just done, and by the time they're finished with this spot, Kabuto's body will be unrecognizable. They won't have much of a body left to send home to his family.

"Oi, Sasori. Why was that freak talking about Orochimaru or whatever his name was so much?" Deidra asks, when they've walked a few meters. Sasori just shrugs from underneath his arm.

"I know as much as you. Perhaps they had some kind of connection, family or something like that. I don't really care." Deidra smirks at that reply. He doesn't really care either, he's just curious. Kabuto could be involved in whatever it was that caused them all to end up on this island. Not like Deidra minds too much, he's getting some cheap thrills and making some good art.

"We may never know, till we kill that greasy haired dick ourselves," Deidra snorts. Sasori just nods like always. He doesn't talk a lot, so Deidra doesn't mind having him around. He's much better than that Tobi weirdo who used to accompany him on his 'activities' with Akatsuki.

Finally the two reach a small clearing after wandering around for awhile, and Deidra helps Sasori sit down near a flower covered bush. He takes the grenade out of his pocket with his good hand and smiles.

"Think we've come far enough?"

"Mhm." Deidra nods and starts fiddling with the grenade. It's timed, so he's got a few seconds before it goes off. He looks at Sasori and grins. Sasori knows what's coming and leans back against the bush to brace himself for the 'art'. Deidra raises his arm and slings the grenade into the thicket of trees they were in previously.

The explosion incinerates everything in sight. Anyone on the island could hear the thundering boom that the grenade had caused. If there were any living things around, they were long gone by now. Flames are flickering in Deidra's eyes, and he feels a sense of accomplishment seeing his creation.

He hopes he's turned someone besides Kabuto into a masterpiece. Just imagining their burnt flesh and last moments makes him feel as giddy as a schoolgirl. Back when he was in school, he'd make sure to make holes in his pottery so whenever it was in the kiln, it would destroy everyone else's. The feeling is identical to what he feels like now. Satisfaction, what every artist craves.

Playing the game seems even more fun. He can't wait to do this again. Maybe their next target won't be someone as sneaky as Kabuto, but can still be entertaining. Too bad Sasori had to steal all of his thunder. Next time, Deidra will be one to turn their blood into paint. The person he really wants to be his new canvas is probably hiding well, but he will find him.

Deidra just can't wait to paint with Sasuke Uchiha's blood.

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><p>37 students remaining<p>

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><p><em><strong>Author's note: I stayed up till 4 AM writing this, so I hope its decent. I don't have a beta reader, so there might be a couple of typos hidden in there somewhere too. This chapter is kinda short, just because I wanted Kabuto dead sooner and didn't want to move onto another character this quickly. I didn't make up the thing about blowing up other kid's pottery, I used to mess everyone else's up too. At least I'm not as crazy as Deidra. Don't forget to review, suggestions are also appreciated!<strong>_


	6. Loss

The sun is just starting to peek out from beneath its sheath of clouds and is mixing with the darkened sky, giving the island a sort of morbidly beautiful glow. It's a literal ray of sunshine in the midst of a bloody battlefield full of darkness. For some of those still standing, it's probably almost a sign of hope. It's always darkest before the dawn, isn't it?

Sasuke disagreed with that; things were just beginning. Just because they hadn't seen a murder besides Suigetsu's yet, that didn't mean it wasn't happening somewhere else right now. It had now been 6 hours since they'd been gassed and pulled into that classroom. Which only lead to one thing-

"Good morning little warriors!" Both and Naruto and Sasuke cringe at the sound of that voice. Neither of them really like being referred to as 'little warriors' either. The loudspeakers go quiet for a moment, before the overly chipper voice continues; "It's been an interesting 6 hours so far, I have to say. Congratulations on surviving this first stretch, picking off those weaklings must have been a real chore."

"I swear... I'm gonna.." Naruto didn't finish his angered sentence, because Orochimaru's voice was loud enough to drown him out.

"But you all aren't here to listen to me, so let's get on with the good parts. We lost quite a few tonight, so listen for your friend's names! First off we have female student 4, Ino. Female student 14, Hokotu. Female student 18, Sasame. Male student 18, Kabuto. Last but certainly not least is Male student 19, Suigetsu. It's hard losing one of your own, but keep your spirits high and prosper! Now, for the danger zones."

Naruto is angry enough to spit fire, so Sasuke is the one who has to pay attention to the important things, as usual. None of the danger zones are anywhere near the beach, or the nearby forested area. They're all on the other side of the island, where the residential district and mountainous spots are. So for now, the two of them are as safe as they can be in a death match.

Whenever Sasuke finishes marking their respective maps, Naruto speaks up. "I can't believe Ino's gone.." He sounds upset, even if he's never really been close with her.

"Don't let it bother you, there are going to be a lot more." Sasuke can tell his reply doesn't sit very well with Naruto.

"Those others weren't really my friends, but they were still people. You can't just not be sad when someone dies. I mean, Kabuto just transferred into our class last week, so he's not someone I know too well. I still feel sorry for him, cause he shouldn't have died."

"He's nothing more than a government spy. I feel no pity for him," Sasuke rebukes. Most people who knew a lot about the program could figure that out quite easily. Whenever Itachi wasn't home, Sasuke done a little bit of research on his own. One of his more 'interesting' findings had been that the government sector in charge of the program usually sent people in for the hell of it.

Kabuto just happened to be one of those people. Sasuke could tell the moment he saw him in that classroom, smiling like he'd just stolen candy from a baby. Plus, he was significantly older as well. Whoever had taken him out wasn't someone they needed to be messing with.

"Still, I wonder what happened to Ino.. I wonder how Sakura's taking it. They were best friends y'know." Sasuke makes a little 'hmph' noise. He could care less about Sakura's feelings. She was nothing but a burden to him when it came right down to the bitter truth.

"I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I hope so.." Naruto sighed.

"Worry more about yourself, that's what's important." Sasuke knew that his words were practically useless. It was easy for him to break bonds and sever his ties with other people. Naruto was different, he had much more humanity. There were only a couple of people in this world that Sasuke could say he cared about, while Naruto cared about nearly everyone.

"How can I worry about myself when I've gotta worry about you and Sakura?" Naruto asks him, sounding as innocent and sincere as ever. Sasuke feels the smallest twinge of satisfaction, but it fades away quickly when Sakura's name is mentioned. Why did Naruto always have to talk about her like she was something special?

Sasuke rolls his eyes and looks out at the sunrise. The waves are splashing against the shore as the tide comes in, framed perfectly by the rising rays of orange sunshine. It's almost like some kind of photoshopped nature picture that people enjoy for the aesthetic. Something so nice and tranquil wasn't very fitting for a place like this.

Sasuke sighs. "We haven't even went looking for her yet, she could have a different outlook on everything than you do. Focus on not getting killed for now." He feels like he's talking to a stump instead of a person.

"She's not playing, I trust her for sure. Sakura's our best friend and I'm gonna keep both of you safe. I won't shut up till I have both of you out of here, alive and well." 'More like YOUR best friend, Sasuke thinks to himself. Having a grudge against Sakura wouldn't get him far, but he's not letting it go. And the way Naruto talks about her.. It gives him a peculiar vibe.

"Are you pining over her? Is that why you're so determined to go after her and play the hero?" Sasuke doesn't expect him to look so surprised. The two of them were good friends and spent a lot of time together, but the subject of love didn't come up much. Naruto never probed too much in Sasuke's love life, and he done the same.

Neither of them knew that both of them happened to have almost identical sexual preferences. Sasuke figured he was some unnatural freak of nature for not finding girls attractive, and Naruto had convinced himself that if he used enough willpower, he'd stop falling head over heels for someone of the wrong gender. That information wasn't something they were willing to share with anyone though.

Sasuke figured it was better to love no one at all than care for someone he couldn't have. Relationships- forced or not- weren't something he saw in his future either. So when it came down to simple attraction, the thought wasn't something he liked to elaborate on. He would be alone, and that was that.

Little did he know, he was someone else's entire world.

"No. Sakura's somebody I like a lot, but not in that kind of way. She's more like a sister to me. Besides, I've already got a crush on someone, and it isn't her!" Sasuke isn't one to pick up on the little things, like how jumbled and frantic sounding the sentence is. He doesn't notice the nervous smile used to cover that up.

"That explains it," Sasuke huffs. Of course that idiot would go and say something like that. He may not like her, but he likes someone else. Why does that bother Sasuke so much? It's not worth worrying over. Meaningless romance discussion was the least of their worries. "Let's go, before I have to hear you spurt nonsense about 'love' anymore."

"Fine, grouchy," Naruto teases and sticks his tongue out at said grouch. Sasuke ignores him and stands up. He's not in the mood for teasing and goofing around. Then again, he never is in the first place.

"Everyone's probably going for those houses near the mountain. Let's steer clear of there, unless you want to start planning your funeral," Sasuke orders.

"Who said you were leading us around?"

"That was decided the moment you got a shitty weapon. We'll find someone else's later so you won't be such an utter nuisance. However, in no way does that mean you get to be the leader."

"Not fair!" Sasuke's lips twitch in a hint of a smirk, but it quickly fades into his trademark scowl before he starts barking orders again.

"Life isn't fair, get over it," He snarks angrily. Life wasn't fair, but that didn't give someone the right to be a douchebag.

"But you said we were gonna find the others!" Naruto whines loudly, resembling a small child. "You promised!"

"We can't find them by just wandering around. We need a hideout. And I don't remembering promising you anything." Sasuke says, in his usual cold tone. "Promises are just over exaggerated obligations anyway." Naruto bites his lip, and doesn't try to argue against that.

If he made a promise, he'd keep it for life. Promises were the only thing that made someone believe in you, even for just a second. Breaking them didn't end up well for either party. Damn Sasuke, wanting to be edgy all the time. He really doesn't know why he loves the raven so much, but it's something that hasn't faded, no matter how many years pass. Love may not be the right word, but it's pretty darn close.

"At least you aren't like Kiba, asking me what chick I wanna hook up with nearly 24/7." Naruto thinks out loud. Sasuke is studying their map now, and he just makes a small 'hmph' noise instead of actually acknowledging that accidental spill.

After he's glanced over it for a couple of minutes, Sasuke finally says something. "That's none of my business- who you choose to copulate with." Naruto nearly snorts at just how formal he is.

"I kinda knew you'd say that. But I'd hope you'd find the person who's right for you someday. Dating an asswipe would suck, and then I'd have definitely have to interfere."

"I have no interest in dating someone. The only way to prove you truly love someone is to lose them, that's just the way the world works. Once you lose something, it's better to not go through it again." Sasuke sounds.. sad. It's the only way to describe the slight change of emotion in his voice, and it's very un-Sasuke like for someone who doesn't like showing any emotions besides anger.

"I know how it feels to lose your parents. You know that more than anyone. No one should have to lose their parents.. or their brother. It's not right, but that doesn't mean you can't let someone else in."

Sasuke glares at him suddenly and his downcast gaze turns to a calm fury. How dare that Naruto even compare his entire family's death to a couple of parents who'd never existed to their own son except from what other people had told him about them.

"Cut your therapist bullshit, I've decided where we're going. There's a lighthouse on the eastern shore, we should be able to spot anything coming if we get up there. It should give us an advantage." Naruto just nods and gathers their things up to leave. He feels a tiny bit hurt, it's something he won't admit. As long as Sasuke shuts him out, there's no way he'll have a chance.

He can't love Sasuke until the other heals the wounds of his past. It's painful, but it's also inevitable. They're total opposites. The moon and sun cannot clash without causing a disruption in the universe, it is a rhetorical fact that everyone knows. But without the sun to start the day, the moon cannot shine at its brightest.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the island, another couple is having much better luck, if you can call it 'luck'. Right now, they're buying time until they can think of a logical solution. Thinking is nearly impossible when they've been thrown into all this chaos. Kiba wasn't very smart, unlike Hinata. She was usually the knowledgeable one out of the pair, the voice of reason.<p>

This time, she is nothing but confused and somewhat scared. There isn't much room for logical thinking, mixed with all of her turbulent emotions. Hinata is a strong woman, and no one can convince her otherwise, but she probably wouldn't be alive right now if Kiba hadn't been there since the beginning.

It was pure irony that they'd met each other outside the school, both hiding in trees and ready to strike each other down if provoked. As soon as Hinata saw her boyfriend's face staring back at her, she knew everything would be okay. It had to be okay. She tries to convince herself of this impossible truth, while her head rests in Kiba's lap.

He's sitting on the edge of one of the cliffs, leading down to the northern shore of the island. They have a view of the vast inky ocean, and the small dots that are military ships in the distance, watching the shore for anyone who tries to escape by swimming.

Seagulls are starting to chirp with their morning calls, and the grass beneath them is slick with daybreak's dew. The air smells particularly salty due to the ocean, but both of them agree its a far greater thing to smell rather than freshly spilled blood.

Ever since they met up, the two ran until they found a safe place. Or something that could count as one. Finding a safe place here was as likely as finding Atlantis, or the meaning of the universe. This section of the island seemed more promising than running around in the woods like a chicken with its head cut off before meeting their ends. Kiba and Hinata both want to trust their classmates, but they're still terrified. You never knew when someone could snap and go crazy.

For now, it's just the two of them here, enjoying each other's company and trying to block out the world around them. Kiba hopes it stays this way for awhile. He doesn't want to bring Hinata out into whatever's going on out there. It wasn't like they couldn't defend themselves, they just didn't want to have to resort to it.

Kiba's weapon wasn't really that bad, just kind of ironic. Who wants to fight with a set of attachable claws? It made him look more like a kitten that a threat, even if the blades were definitely real and sharp enough to slice right through an unaware enemy. Wait, since when was he thinking of anyone here as an enemy?

"Nice morning, isn't it?" Hinata chimes in softly. He knows she's just trying to break the ice, not condescending and sarcastic. Ever since they started running from that damn school, they hadn't said more than a couple of words to each other. The silence was enough to convey their feelings. We're screwed.

"Yeah, it's awesome. Great ocean view," Kiba says weakly. What a load of lies. He's always wanted to take her on a date to the beach. Nothing could go wrong with that. But now, seeing his dream come to life is just plain cruel. It sends chills down his spine, and not the good kind.

He's liked Hinata in a more than friendly way ever since they had a project together last year. They'd been paired up with Shino too, but Kiba found Hinata far more interesting than bug boy. She'd always been the type to linger in the background and not say more than she needed to, the stereotypical shy girl.

Kiba regretted judging a book by its cover, because Hinata proved to be one of the most amazing people he knew. And he wasn't just saying that because he had a crush on her. If they'd never been in that group together, he would've never known the little things that meant so much to him now.

Her favorite color was purple. She was from a rich family, but didn't like to show her wealth. She played on the girl's baseball team, and had been one of the weakest players, until she'd became determined to improve. On the outside, she was shy and timid, but she constantly longed for someone to notice and acknowledge her.

Kiba had it pretty bad for her, and most of the time it showed. Hinata was always the calm, relaxed one around him, while Kiba was the flustered mess. He was getting better at hiding it though, until it was time to tell her how he felt. For now, they were still just friends. _Yeah, 'friends' put each other's heads on their laps all the time_, Kiba thinks silently.

"The ocean is so pretty.." She says in some kind of awe. Maybe this is her distraction, just forgetting about this bullshit altogether. Kiba doesn't care, her innocence is worth it.

"Not as pretty as you." His response earns a giggle, and Hinata looks up at him with a smile on her face- as it should be.

"Oh stop it, you're just saying that," Hinata laughs softly, and a soft blush dusts her cheeks.

"Nope. I meant it, seriously."

"Seriously? Pinky swear?" She sounds so serious about it, Kiba can't help but stick out his little finger and wrap it around hers.

"Pinky swear." His tone is so light hearted that their playful banter sounds no different than it would be if they were home right now, lying on Kiba's bed and playing with Akamaru. All that seems so far away now. He ponders about what his dog and his family are doing now, without his presence. Is this just another normal day to them?

Hinata frees her finger from Kiba's and brings her hand back down, leading them to their previous state of silence. "Kiba, can I ask you something?"

"Go for it." He doesn't know what she's going to ask him, but he hopes it isn't too serious. The severity of the situation hasn't quite sunken in yet, and honestly he doesn't want it to.

"If you had a secret, you'd tell me, right?" He swallows nervously. Does she know? Does she really know how much he wants to kiss her, even if it's their first and last time? Does she know how he lies awake at night, just thinking about her?

"Yeah.. You'd do the same, wouldn't ya?" he lies, tangling her question into another one.

"Yes, I would," She says in an almost whisper, gazing up at him again. Her eyes are a light shade of grey, a kind of color that makes you want to stop and look into them forever. Hinata doesn't like the fact that she shares the same eye color as her cousin Neji, but Kiba thinks they're gorgeous- hers, not Neji's of course.

Their glances meet each other's, and it seems like the perfect moment to spit it out. Fear of rejection clouds Kiba's mind, making him have second thoughts about this. He can't focus on that, it's now or never.

"So, what do you wanna tell me?" He finally questions, masking all of his fear. "You can go first, then I'll tell you mine, if you won't laugh." This is the moment he's fantasized about for so long. He's practiced bad pick up lines in front of the mirror for months now, written her dozens of piss poor love letters-everything he could think of to get ready.

"Kiba.. I.. tell me yours first, I promise I won't say a word about it if it's embarrassing." Her voice is getting softer and softer, and pink is spreading across her cheeks again. She's hiding something big. Kiba ignores her hesitance for now, and takes a deep breath. His stomach is in knots, can he really do this?

"I like you, a lot. More than a lot, I mean.. Damnit. I'm not good at stuff like this. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, if that doesn't sound too creepy or weird. No one else could ever be as beautiful as you to me. You're just-" Kiba's rambling is cut short by Hinata.

She leans up and cups his cheeks in her hands, stroking them with her thumbs. Kiba's copper eyes widen, but he doesn't have time to gawk anymore, because her face is getting closer and closer to his. His palms are sweating, and he's so excited he can't bear it. Quickly, he shuts his eyes and tilts his head slightly. Their lips meet during his daze.

Her lips are softer than he could ever imagine. It's like kissing a cloud. She tastes like the peach lipgloss she always wears, and it's everything he's ever wanted. They start off slowly, just enjoying it for as long as they can. His hands drift up to stroke her hair in the process, running through the long strands of purple.

She isn't sure what to do at first, but Kiba guides her through it gently. Their kiss deepens and both of them are breathless. Kiba's sharp teeth graze her bottom lip, causing Hinata to make a soft noise of satisfaction. They're both running out of air, so like all good things, it has to end.

Hinata's face is even more beautiful when they pull away, if that's even possible. She looks so happy that her usual nervous smile has turned into a real one.

"You actually.. like me?" Kiba says in disbelief. Hinata nods and smiles again. God, she was so gorgeous. He already wants to kiss her again.

"I have for awhile. I was just too nervous to tell you." She pauses, and her eyes dart to the ground in embarrassment. "When I'm with you, I don't feel so scared anymore. You're what I've always needed. You gave me the courage to stand up my family, and that's something no one else could've done. I can't really see myself with anyone except you."

"Does that mean you'll be my girlfriend?" Hinata nods happily and sits up, so she can wrap her arms around him in a tight squeeze. Her embrace is the only answer he needs to that question.

"O-Of course." She mummers, still pressed against him. Her voice is even better than an angel's, Kiba realizes.

"I just can't believe this is finally happening." Finally having Hinata is extremely bittersweet. Why did it have to happen on this island of all places? They could have had a chance together, if it weren't for ending up here. Kiba won't accept that fate for them, he's going to change it some way. He'll find a way.

"Me neither. It just doesn't seem real.." Hinata trails off, before giving him a final hug and releasing him from her grasp. Her fingers still linger on his shoulder, like she wants more. Now that they have each other, they feel like they need to make up for all the lost time. The time they've spent in denial of their feelings, and the times that they won't get to experience due to death.

"Yeah, it's like a dream or something," Kiba agrees. He's too overwhelmed to say otherwise. A nightmare would be a more realistic description. If dreams came true, they wouldn't be in this mess. They'd be on a real class trip, making good memories instead of life scarring ones. But he tries to push these realizations away and focus on Hinata. She _was_ a dream come true.

"This isn't really much of a date, you know." Hinata says, her smile turning into a frown. Kiba looks away from her solemn face, because he knows exactly what she's talking about. "But I don't mind, as long as we're together," she adds, taking Kiba's hand and intertwining it with her smaller one.

"Someday, I'm gonna take you on a real date," Kiba proclaims, with a fierce determination in his voice. He gives Hinata's hand a tiny squeeze.

"Tell me all about it."

"First, I'm gonna take you to some fancy restaurant. The kind snooty bastards like Neji go to all the time. It can't be any less than five stars!" Hinata giggles for a few seconds, quickly stopping so he can continue describing their 'date'. Kiba tries to make up the perfect scenario for her, adding in all sorts of unrealistic details, including sex on Hinata's pristine bed that was worth more than Kiba's entire house. By the time he's finished, Hinata can't hold it any longer and bursts out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Kiba raises an eyebrow.

"You, silly. Neji _is_ a snooty bastard," Hinata snickers. In all of the years that he's known Hinata, she's never even dared talk bad about Neji, much less call him a snooty bastard. She really was opening up, just for Kiba.

"I can't believe my own girlfriend just called the legendary pisswad that is Neji a bastard. I already wanna kiss you again. "

"Then do it," Hinata says playfully.

The two never get to share a second kiss, because they don't hear the rattling up in one of the trees. They don't hear the swift sound of a bow being pulled back and steadied. The two lovers will never see it coming. They keep laughing and giggling like a pair of complete idiots, unaware of what is about to happen. A figure up in the branches smirks in delight, then aims his bow. The arrow flies with precision, and hits the target just like planned. Bullseye.

The girl is dead before she even has time to process it.

Kiba shrieks and back away whenever he sees it, and its enough to make him vomit, scream, and cry all at the same time. A long and sharp arrow is sticking out of Hinata's forehead. The hole is barely more than a few inches wide, but it's already done its job. There isn't more than a few drops of crimson blood left behind from it, making the sight all that more unbelievable. She is completely different from a few seconds ago. Her blissful expression is gone, and she's as still as a statue.

Kiba's shaking uncontrollably, and he reaches out to touch her rapidly paling skin.

"Hinata, wake up. Wake up, please. This isn't funny!" He shouts, feeling dread starting to pool in his stomach. No matter how hard he shakes her, she doesn't move at all. All color has drained from her face. Her eyes are no longer full of excitement and joy. They're full of death. "Please.. Please wake up." Kiba keeps trying to wake her. He doesn't want to know the truth. _She's not dead,_ he tells himself over and over.

_She's not dead. _

_She's not dead. _

_She's not dead._

Tears start to drip from his eyes onto her lifeless face, and he keeps trying to bring her back in a fruitless effort. Kiba knows the dead can't wake, but she's not dead. She's unconscious, she's going to be fine. She's going to sit up soon enough and start smiling and laughing again. The tears start to come quicker and quicker, and his body is wracking with heaving sobs. He can barely see in front of him, everything is blurred due to the endless amount of tears. Still, Kiba doesn't give up. He shakes her over and over with as much force as he can muster in this condition.

_She's not dead._

"I-I.. I love you.. Please, wake up goddamnit!" Kiba yells hoarsely. He sounds pitiful, and the words come out as a weak plea. Hinata lies still, oblivious to Kiba's shoving and his tears. She's long gone by now.

_She's not dead._

"I'm.. sorry. I'm sorry.." Shock is starting to take over by now, and he falls into a heap beside her corpse. He screams as loud as he can between sobs, while he shakes and trembles with sorrow. The tears don't even come close to stopping. They only get worse as time passes.

_She's dead._

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><p><em>36 students remaining.<em>

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><p><strong><em>Author's note: I am a terrible, terrible person for torturing these characters so much. Oh well, it's gonna get worse! On a happier note, reviews make my day. I love reading them, and it makes me glad to know people are actually reading this story too. Whenever I came up with the idea, I figured no one would want to read it besides me. P.S, if you draw, I love fanart. It would be a dream come true to have art for this story, whenever it gets popular enough.<em>**


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